I was so happy when you smiled
by LadyAmazon
Summary: Tohru Honda and Zakura Kojima were orphaned with no place to go until Shigure Sohma offered them a place. Along the way they discover the Sohma family curse and their lives have been turned upside down! Kyoxoc suggested YukixTohru
1. A strange transformation

Hello, there, adding some new stories to my page. Trying to break out of Naruto for a little while. This here is a Kyoxoc fic, only because he's awesome!

(c) Natsuki Takaya

Zakura Kojima belongs to me!

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>"Wow!" Tohru exclaimed softly, placing a hand over her eyes to look at the clear sky above, "Just look at that beautiful sky, Zakuro!"<p>

After I finished putting my hair in its braid I gazed at Tohru fondly, "I'm sure it is beautiful, Tohru." I grabbed my bag and joined her outside of the tent, taking in the wonderful morning air, "Did you say good-bye to your mom?"

Tohru smiled and went back into the tent to say good-bye to her mom. She's such a sweet girl…_Oh! Hello. My name is Zakuro Kojima. Just so you know we haven't always lived in a tent in the middle of the woods. Ever since I was 8 years old I lived with Tohru and her mom while my mom disappeared to America. She was friends with Tohru's mom and she immediately took me in as her own daughter…it was always just the three of us…until the accident. Now it's just me and Tohru. I promised since then that I would always be with her through everything as a promise to Kyoko._

"Zakuro, are you ready to go?" Tohru asked me as she took me hand, just as she did when we were in middle school. She would always hold me hand.

Nodding my head, we began our walk on the trail that took us to school. During the short walk, Tohru checked the time on her watch and said that we had some extra time and wanted to explore the area a bit. I was a bit hesitant, but I wanted Tohru to be happy, so whatever she wants goes.

We came across a river, a small lake with a rocky shore, we made note to come back there when the summer gets hot to go swimming, a small garden, and strangely a snug two story house with a deck, a balcony, and a koi pond on the side.

"Look at this Zakuro…" Tohru said approaching the front of the house to gaze at the interior, "…it seems so peaceful…"

I nodded my head in agreement, "It must be nice to live here."

As Tohru walked along the porch deck she saw a small stand with Zodiac animal ornaments, "Look, Zakuro! How cute! The twelve animals of the zodiac!"

I joined her side to gaze at the ornaments, "Yeah, they are cute." All of them were really well done except, "…they left out the cat."

"My word…" A young male voice said softly that it startled us, "Is it just me or are there two strange girls standing outside my house?" A young adult with dark hair wearing a olive colored kimono holding a newspaper appeared in front if us.

Realizing that she must've been trespassing, Tohru began to spazz, "Oh! I'm sorry! We were just looking! We didn't mean to intrude!"

I calmly placed a hand on her shoulder, "Calm down, Tohru. There's no reason to go into a panic."

"Yes." The young man agreed, "She's right. No harm done. I just set them out to dry." He explained kneeling down on the deck to join us, "It seems hard to believe these silly little things could catch your interests."

Tohru lightly shook her head, "No, we really like them. We don't think they're silly at all, right, Zakuro?"

"I think it's silly that the cat isn't included." I stated rather boldly, "I really like the cat. It should be included with the other animals." I began to ramble passionately, "So what if there's only twelve months of the year! There should be a special holiday or event dedicated to the year of the cat!" I began panted and became flush with embarrassment knowing I just rambled on in front of a stranger. "Ah…sorry about that…"

The man just chuckled and waved it off, "Don't worry about it…I just wonder what he'll say when he hears he has a fan…" He muttered a bit to himself.

"What?" Tohru asked.

"Oh nothing, so what year were you two born?" He asked curiously.

Seeing no real harm I answered, "Tohru was born the year of the dog and I was born in the year of the ram."

This caught the man's interest as he gazed at Tohru, "Oh, is that right? I know there was something I felt about you..." He began to lean closer, "…aside from your pretty face -"

He was cut off when a green school bag landed on his head by an outstretched arm.

"Please excuse my cousin, Miss Honda, Miss Kojima…" Tohru and I recognize that soft sensuous voice anywhere, "…he's a bit of a flirt, but he's harmless. In general it's usually best to just ignore him."

Tohru gasped, "Yuki Sohma!" She got starry eyed as she gazes at the pale, purpled eyed, perfect male figure.

I almost laughed to myself, _'I can image she's ranting about the fact Yuki Sohma is standing in front of her.'_

"What do you have in that bag?" His cousin asked, rubbing his sore head, "A dictionary?"

"No, I have two of them." Yuki responded, pulling his bag onto back.

-0-

"So, you're Yuki's classmates from school? Let's start again. I'm Shigure…Yuki's older and much less violent cousin." He explained.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Tohru Honda."

"My name is Zakuro Kojima."

"Well, Miss Honda, what are you doing here?" Yuki asked curiously.

"U-uh, well, we live…near by…" She answered vaguely, not sure how to answer.

'_It is kinda embarrassing that we have to live in a tent in the middle of the woods.'_

"Nearby?" He continued to ask.

"Uh…right!" She blushed and looked at me for some kind of help.

I didn't know what to say either. Can you really tell two strangers that you live in a tent until your other relatives can take you in? "Okay! We're going to be late. Why don't we start walking?" I giggled nervously, grabbing Tohru by the arm and dragged her away slowly.

"Wait." Yuki called, "Since you're both here, why don't we walk together?"

"Uh…heh heh…"

-0-

Not even part way there to the school we came across Yuki's fanclub.

"L-O-V-E! We love Yuki! Yuki! Yuki! L-l-l-l-ove! L-l-l-l-ove!" Three of them cheered boldly on the side walk.

Yuki, Tohru, and I kept our heads down and continued walking without batting an eye at them. If Tohru and I know anything about the Yuki fanclub, it's that we're going to get cornered by them for even walking with him.

-0-

"Okay! Start talking!"

Yup, it was only a matter of time. As soon as Yuki left us to go to homeroom, three Prince Yuki fan club members dragged us into the hall way for interrogation.

Naturally I kept Tohru behind me, "What are you talking about?"

"Why were you two walking to school with Prince Yuki? Details and they better be good!"

"It was just a coincidence." Tohru softly explained.

"Well for your sake I hope that's all it was! Ha!"

"Every girl in this school knows that Yuki Sohma is the best looking boy in school!"

"And he's intelligent!"

"And great at sports!"

"And for your info **we** are the Prince Yuki fanclub! We got first dibs sister so you better stay clear!" They all yelled getting steadily closer to our face.

"Hey!" Uo yelled from behind them. Saved by the ex-yankee.

"What?" The three girls yelled, before turning around to see who they were yelling at. Big mistake on their part since most people know that when they mess with Tohru, they also mess with her two best friends Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima.

Arisa stood there with her tough aura surround her, "They said it was a coincidence! Now get lost before those pointy noses of yours get bruised."

The three girls flinched back in fear, "Now hold it, Yankee…you're not going to scare us with that street thug talk!"

From behind Arisa came a familiar dark aura that usually surrounds Hana when she's angry, "One more word…" She spoke softly, "… and you'll all get *Beeeep* with electric shocks."

That did the trick because they all ran down the hall in fear.

"Good job, Hana."

"Were those catty little girls bothering you?" Arisa pulled Tohru into a hug and stroke her head, "Aw…Hana, don't actually shock anyone, okay?"

-0-

Later that day while in Home Ec. Class Tohru told the story of us bumping into Yuki on the way to school. She admitted that she couldn't talk to him or look at him even though she wanted to.

"There are some strange electric signals coming from that boy." Hana said with her ever apathetic tone, holding a bowl of rice in her hands.

"Here we go again." Arisa said sarcastically, "Hana's Electric Report."

"Strange how?" I asked.

"I don't know. He's different." Hana replied.

Arisa brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes, "I admit he does seem to have an air of mystery about him and there are some strange rumors floating about him too."

I picked up on what she was saying, "Oh, yeah, I heard about the one when one of those Fan Club girls tried to hug him. But he literally pushed her away and ran off."

Hana placed a bowl of miso soup in front of Tohru, being mindful not to spill any on the shirt I was sewing for Home Ec, "Like I said strange electric signals."

Tohru pulled off her yellow apron, "Uh, let's talk about something else?"

"How's that job of yours coming?" Arisa asked curiously.

"Fine. Why?" Tohru asked, hoping her fiend wasn't worrying about her.

In fact all of us were worried that Tohru was working too hard. For Tohru's sake I didn't say anything to the others about her living in a tent. I'm sure that if she told them, they would help her out a little; then again that is how selfless Tohru is. She wouldn't tell anyone about her problems. Sometimes she doesn't even tell me and I've been getting even more worried because she's been getting a little pale.

-0-

After school I met Tohru over by the lockers so that we could begin our walk back to our little home. We didn't expect, however, to bump into Yuki who was also getting ready to leave.

When Tohru saw Yuki she easily got flustered, "Oh. Yuki it's you…I mean it's…" She fumbled cutely before settling with, "…Hi…"

Yuki chuckled softly to himself as he closed his shoe locker, "It seems we're all making a habit of bumping into each other. Shall we walk together?"

Since Tohru doesn't have a mean bone in her body, she couldn't refuse. We walked in the same awkward silence as we did this morning.

"It was nice meeting your cousin this morning. He was funny." Tohru said, trying to start a conversation, "And those Zodiac ornaments he made were really cute."

I smiled and rubbed her head, "Tohru, you think almost anything is cute."

"Well, it is true." She blushed lightly.

"I think I overheard the two of you saying something about the cat?" Yuki asked curiously.

Tohru flushed with embarrassment, "It's an idea I had when I was a kid…it was silly."

I however stood proudly by my passion for cats, "I love cats, so I thought it would be cool to have a holiday dedicated to the cat since it was wrongfully tricked."

Yuki walked a little further ahead as his whole attitude shifted, "Cats…useless, foolish creatures." He whispered with disgust.

My smile rapidly turned into a frown, _'Is he a cat-hater or something?'_

Tohru gasped softly when she heard the tone in Yuki's voice.

"Tell me something. How familiar are you two with the history of the Chinese Zodiac?"

Tohru looked down at her feet, "I know the stories my mom used to tell me…"

"Wasn't it originally used as a sort of calendar to tell the passage of time?" I asked.

Yuki kept his back to us as he stood still on the side walk, "Yes, only later in time did people start using it for astrology and fortune-telling…I don't know how the animals came to represent the years, but I don't believe they were there from the beginning." He spoke softer and softer, but his tone was firm, "What I do know is that the cat should never be included. It's been shunned for thousands of years and yet it still yearns to be accepted…like I said a truly foolish animal."

"I understand that some people prefer cats to dogs, but you take the hatred to a whole new level." I retorted.

Yuki ignored my remark and turned around to face lightly touched her forehead with mild concern, "I noticed it this morning that you were starting to look pale. Please take better care of yourself." He removed his hand from her forehead and continued walking home without waiting for us.

Flustered, Tohru touched her head where Yuki touched her moments ago, "Wow…he really is mysterious and so smart too. He knows a lot about the Chinese Zodiac, doesn't he?"

I crossed my arms in thought, "Yeah…" I looked up at the orange-red sky realizing what time it could've been, "Hey, Tohru…aren't you going to be late for work?"

Tohru's blue eyes widen with panic, "Oh no! Work!" She spazzed waving her arms around in a flurry, "I'm going to be late! Late! Late! Gotta run! Run to work!" She rambled as she ran down the street still waving her arms like a mad chibi.

I shook my head amused, "Oh, Tohru, where would your head be if it weren't attached to your head?"

-0-

"Ayame, sir!" I called out into the fabric store, as I closed the door behind me, "I'm here for work."

From behind the tall brown shelf of silk fabrics, Mine appeared in her black and white maid outside, "Ah, Zakuro, you're right on time! We've got a new shipment of fabrics just for you!"

I smiled relieved. I've been waiting for those shipments for weeks, "That's great! So I'll be starting on the costumes today then." I removed my jacket and bag and placed them behind the register counter. "Say…where's Ayame?" I asked her looking around for my over-enthusiastic silver haired boss, "He's usually here by now yelling at me to change into something cute for the store."

A soft hand landed on my shoulder from behind me, "You're absolutely right about that, Zakura!" Yep, there he is. "You are amazing to be able to predict what is to come next! You must be psychic!"

"Uh, no, sir. It's just that you say it every day since I started working here." I told him.

"Never mind that!" He exclaimed happily, "The latest shipment of fabrics came in at my order and I must witness your next creations!" He cheered.

"You mean the cosplay I plan to make?" I asked him.

He nodded vigorously, "Yes! Yes! And may I compliment you on a job well done on those, what were they called, Vampire Knight day class and night class uniforms! They were a very big hit! I've had many calls on requests that I lost count!" He laughed.

I blushed at the compliment. It's not often he gives them out.

"So, what are you going to make today? Something with feathers? Bows? Laces?" He rambled on and on about what would compliment the other. And once he starts Mine chips in ideas as well and this is the part where I go to my quiet station and get to work.

-0-

Later that night, I began my tired trek back to the little tent Tohru and I shared. My arms, legs, and eyes were tired. Even my ears were tired from listen to Ayame squabbling on and on in my ear about absolutely nothing.

'_I hope Tohru got to the tent safely. I don't like letting her walk home alone at night. She's such an air head sometimes that I worry someone is just going to grab her.' _I sighed at the dreaded thought.

As I walked down the parted trail where the trees parted at the opening to out little camp, I was relieved that the little camp light was on. That meant Tohru was here before me and she was alright.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

I slouched with embarrassment when I came through the opening of the trees, when I saw Yuki and Shigure there. What's worse was that Shigure was laughing his head off, holding his stomach and pointing at Tohru.

"Shigure…don't you think you're over doing it?" Yuki asked, he probably thought it was awkward rather than funny.

"We're busted, huh?" I asked them, coming into view.

When Shigure turned his head to look at me, he laughed even harder.

Bastard.

-0-

After that little episode, Yuki and Shigure invited us into their house so we could all talk about our 'living conditions'. We sat in the living room around the square table. Yuki and Shigure sat on one side while Tohru and I sat together on the other side.

"So, you two have been living in that tent by yourselves?" Yuki asked over Shigure's constant snickering.

"Uh huh." Tohru answered quietly.

"For how long?"

"I don't know…just over a week?" Tohru admitted embarrassed causing Shigure to laugh a little louder.

"It's not that funny, is it?" I asked out loud. Shigure laughed even harder.

Yuki continued to ignore him, "So that explains it. All of this land is Sohma property." He explained to us, "It seemed odd that we suddenly had new neighbors."

'_How rich are they that they own an entire forest?'_

"I'm sorry." Tohru apologized, putting her sad eyes to good use, "…but please…can we stay there a little while longer? It's only for a few more weeks and then we'll leave. We don't have much money put together, but we can pay you. Please let us stay." She pleaded.

Shigure finally stopped laughing enough to tell us with all seriousness, "Those woods aren't too safe. There are wild animals, landslides, floods, and the occasional weirdo prowling around. I don't think its okay to leave you two out there alone."

"So you're done laughing?" Yuki and I asked him in unison.

Tohru stood up confidently with her fist raised, "Don't worry about us! We already got used to all the bugs and snakes! If we can stand up to them-" Her dramatic speech was short lived when she suddenly fell over.

"Tohru!"

"Miss Honda!"

I supported her in a sitting position while Yuki checked her head, "She has a fever!"

"Ice! I'll get ice!" Shigure told us running over to where I assumed the kitchen was, but when he pulled back the sliding door we say a black sea of decay and trash.

I temporarily forgot about Tohru to look at the mess of a kitchen, "I think the woods are safer than your kitchen."

Yuki and Shigure blushed with embarrassment. "Well, relatively speaking." Shigure tried to explained, but suddenly stopped with a serious look on his face. He was quiet for a moment before he started speaking again, "There. You hear that? There has been another landslide."

"Really? How do you know that?" Tohru asked him when she recovered a bit.

"Hm, I suppose you can say its instinct." He replied.

"Was it close?" Yuki asked.

Shigure smirked, "Close to the tent-er" He faltered when he remembered that we were still here, "I mean, not at all!" he sort of sang.

He really was as stupid as he acted if he thought we didn't believe him.

-0-

When Tohru and I came back to the camp site we were devastated to find that our tent was buried under the landslide. I think Tohru took it harder than me since she started panicking that her mom's picture was still in there. She even tried to dig her out herself, before the fever took its toll on her and she passed out again. She didn't want to leave the picture buried in there, but we finally convinced her to go back to Shigure's house after we promised to come back out in the morning to dig our stuff out.

When we got a bed set up I let Tohru lay down first since she needed it more. Once she was comfortable, I held her hand and stroked her head soothingly, just the way she liked it to help her fall asleep faster. I guess the day finally caught up to her when she closed her eyes. She was out within seconds.

"You really do care for her even though she's not your sister." Shigure commented softly on the other side of Tohru.

I didn't look at him, I kept my eyes on Tohru, "I do because it's what her mom wanted and I do it because I want to. Tohru is such a sweet hard-working girl. I don't care if she causes me trouble with her kindness and absent-mindedness…she does it all for her mom."

"What happened to her mom, if you don't mind me asking?"

"She died last May." I told him, "Tohru put this thought in her head that she was the cause of it because she didn't tell her mom to 'come home safe' like she did every morning before her mom left for work. It was the same day that Tohru didn't say it that her mom died." I told him, trying to keep my voice from wavering. _'It was one of the saddest days of my life.' _"Tohru thought about leaving school just to keep working but then she remembered her mom telling her that she never got to finish high school so she wants Tohru to stay in school to get her diploma. That's what kept her going all of this time."

Shigure didn't say anything and it only took me a while to realize Yuki was standing by the doorway holding a pack of ice in a towel. "Miss Honda, is kind of amazing." He whispered, "For someone so cheerful to have had to go through all of that suffering…she still finds a reason to smile." He walks over to me and gives me the ice pack, "I'm going to go out for a while. Shigure can keep an eye on you and her."

"What? Where?"

"You're not going to try digging out that tent – you are aren't you?"

I eased my hand out of Tohru's to stand up next to Yuki, "Do you want me to come with you? It won't be easy if you do it alone…" I trialed off when I noticed an eerie purple glow in his eyes.

"I didn't say I was going alone."

"Be safe, Yuki." Shigure said, waving good-bye when the sliding door closed.

There was a pregnant pause before I muttered, "What the hell was that?"

"Don't worry about that for now. Why don't you go and get some sleep?" Shigure suggested, "You must be tired from everything that happened today."

Without much of a fight, I crawled under the blankets with Tohru, "Thanks for everything you did for us, Shigure. We really appreciate it."

"It's no problem." He whispered quietly, "Now get some sleep."

-0-

The next morning I somehow woke up before Tohru. It was a little odd since she was normally the early bird. Shigure was already awake when I found him wandering in his own hallway. He had asked me how we would feel about staying at his house with him and Yuki until Tohru and I can get out bearings together. Sure, the idea of living with two strange boys would be awkward, but what choice would we have until Tohru's grandpa can get his house together? Let's face it. Tohru and I were desperate.

"I don't know how Tohru would feel about it, but I guess we could stay here a while…"

"Fantastic!" He literally sang while patting my shoulder, "There's an extra room upstairs with a few odds and ends, surely you and Tohru will be able to stay up there." He rambled pushing me towards the stairs, "It's the big empty one. There are some clothes in the drawer for you to wear until you get yours washed. Make yourself at home!" He sang again before disappearing down the hall, probably to freak Tohru out.

'What have we gotten ourselves into?' I asked myself walking up the wooden steps to the second floor where there were four other doors. I opened the nearest one to find that it was the upstairs bathroom. Closing it I tried the next room to see that it was already occupied and took a wild guess that it was Yuki's room. Closing the door I went to the next door down the hall. It was empty aside from the glass door that led to the balcony outside but it had a tall book shelf on the far wall filled with books. I had to remember to come back here to check them out later.

Going to the very last room I found it vacant aside from the brown dresser that Shigure was most likely talking about. Pulling back two of the drawers, I found it was low on clothes than I have ever seen in a dresser. I pulled out a small black short- sleeved shirt with a red button up one. Closing that drawer, I dug around the next one to find at least three or four pairs of the same olive green pants.

Stripping out of my dirty clothes, I slipped on the new ones just in time when Yuki and Tohru entered through the door.

"Zakuro! Shigure and Yuki are letting us live with them!" She told me with a big smile, "They'll let us stay if we work for room and board without any money for return!"

I patted her head, "I know Tohru. It's going to be great to not have to sleep outside."

She clasped her hands over her chest, "Isn't it like being in a dream?"

I half-heartedly agreed with her, "Yeah or one bizarre twisted nightmare…"

"I apologize for the smell…" Yuki said as he opened up the only window in the room, "…we've had this room closed off for a while so you should probably keep the window opened…"

We were trying to listen to him explain why the room was closed off but we were distracted by the crackling noise coming from the roof above us. I absently thought squirrels were fighting up there until the roof caved in with all the debris.

"Ahh!" Tohru gasped as I pushed her behind me.

"What was that?" I demanded.

We all stood there recovering from the shock. When the dust and dirt cleared there was a guy standing in the middle of all the debris! He had short bright orange hair and long bangs that hung over his eyes. His skin was slightly tanned and he had a slim figure like Yuki's. I also realized the clothes he was wearing were similar to the ones I was wearing.

'Who is this guy?' I wondered in awe, 'How did he break through the roof?'

"Yo." He said with his back to us as he cracked his neck, "Time to pay the piper, rat-boy. I'm here to collect." Even his voice is amazing!

Yuki leaned against the window, smirking, "Really? I would've thought he's send somebody bigger." He taunted egging the other guy on.

Growling, the orange hair guy clenched his fist, "That's right! You better get your tough talk out of the way because I'm about to wipe that stupid little smirk right off your face!" He yelled running at Yuki.

Tohru tugged me by my arm to pull me towards the boys, "Zakuro, they're going to fight we gotta stop them!"

"Wait! Tohru!" She was rushing in too fast and tripped over her pant leg. She fell into me, knocking me off balance and into the orange hair guy's back. I prepared for the painful crashing of falling on top of him and Tohru falling on top of me.

However it was weird when I fell on him, I felt his body disappear under me into something furry.

Shigure moved into the door way wondering what was going on, "Yuki, what were all those crashing sounds I just heard? Kyo's not here, is he?"

"Tohru…can you get off me? I think I fell on something."

Tohru immediately got off of me and started spouting off apologies, "I'm so sorry! Are you-" She stopped cold when she saw the orange cat in my arms.

"I think we broke him." I told her holding the angry cat at arms length.

This set Tohru into a whole new panic attack, "Ahh! We turned him into a cat! I'm so sorry!" Shigure tried to get our attention, but due to Tohru's loud panic, we couldn't hear any of it. "I don't know how it happened but we're going to get you help! We got to get him to the hospital!" She yelled, trying to pull me up really fast so we could get the cat to the hospital, but she tripped on her hand leg again and fell into Yuki and Shigure.

Then the weirdest thing happened! They disappeared in colored smoke and transformed into a rat and dog! First a cat and now a dog and rat? Are we in a crazy house or something?


	2. Call a doctor!

Hello, there, adding some new stories to my page. Trying to break out of Naruto for a little while. This here is a Kyoxoc fic, only because he's awesome!

(c) Natsuki Takaya

Zakura Kojima belongs to me!

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Chapter 2:<p>

"Call a doctor! Or a vet!" Tohru panicked running down the steps with her arms full with the dog and rat while I calmly walked down the steps with the orange cat.

She ran to the front door to see the postman standing there with letters in his hand. He was a bit taken back with her rushing up to him like a mad woman.

"Mr. Postman! It's terrible! They're animals!" She yelled showing the man the dog and rat.

The postman didn't quite understand the problem she was trying to address, "Yes, they certainly are. Here's your mail." He smiled kindly as he handed her the letters.

"No! No! We gotta do something!"

Calmly the dog took the letter out of the postman's hand with his mouth. Everyone paused at the oddity of that. The postman laughed and rubbed the dogs' head, "I wish my dog was this smart." He made his way out the door before saying good-bye.

After that Tohru sunk down to her knees, unsure of what to do now.

"So, should we still take them to a doctor?" I asked.

The cat jumped out of my arms and ran over towards the rat and dog, hissing, "Dammit! How am I supposed to come up with an excuse of both if you transformed too?"

The cat sounded like Kyo…

"Don't you dare try to blame this on us you stupid cat!" The rat yelled back.

The rat sounded like Yuki…

"Go ahead…say that again!" The cat taunted.

"Stu-pid cat."

"Why you little!"

"Cut it out, both of you!" The dog yelled?

Was that Shigure?

I walked over towards Tohru and sat down next to her. Grabbing her hand I turned it into a fist and held it over my head, "Hit me. Really hard. I want amnesia." I told her.

"Cut it out! Both of you!" Shigure barked, "There's no point in hiding it any longer. We might as well tell them the truth." Shigure turned his head towards Tohru and I being mindful that Yuki was still sitting on his head, "Tohru, Zakuro…I'm a dog." He stated simply, "Yuki is a rat…" he turned to the orange cat fuming in the corner away from them, "That's Kyo. Don't let his temper scare you. He has a bit of a chip on his shoulder."

It took a few minutes to sink most of that in. It's not something you see everyday.

"So this is…normal?" Tohru asked timidly.

"Strange choice of words but, yes, our family has lived with curse for generations." Shigure began to explain, "Twelve of us transform into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac." Kyo turned his head around to glare at him. "Sorry." Shigure apologized, "The twelve animals plus the cat." Kyo turned his head back around to glare at the wall, "Anyway, when our bodies come under a great deal of stress or we're hugged by a member of the opposite sex we transform. After a while we do change back only problem is…" He trailed off when there was a popping noise and three separate colors of smoke, "We're naked." The smoke began to evaporate and their naked figure became apparent.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

-0-

When the guys were dressed again everyone settled down in the living room to talk everything out calmly, well everyone but Kyo, he sat outside on the deck still fuming. Shigure wasn't kidding when he said he had a chip on his shoulder.

"Sorry about all of that." Shigure apologized with a stupid grin on his face, "So how are you two doing?"

Tohru hung her head, "It's not your fault that your family is cursed…"

I nodded in agreement, "Sure it's a little weird, but I don't think anything has changed. We're all still friends here." From the deck I heard Kyo scoff.

Shigure leaned on the table to whisper to us, "By the way, didn't you two say you wanted to be a cat?"

Thinking back to yesterday morning, I remember saying that.

"What's it like seeing the real thing?" He smirked, pointing to Kyo's back.

'That's right! He's the car from the Chinese Zodiac!' I mentally squealed getting excited.

Shigure laughed, "Yes, it's hard to believe, I know. And I agree that 'cat-like reflexes' doesn't really apply to him. But he is the cat only clumsier than most." Shigure continued to tease, fully aware that Kyo was growing angrier and angrier by each insult, "Surprising really, considering all the martial arts training he had. I'm sure he'd tell you the same thing if he wasn't so busy brooding like a child…"

Finally having enough Kyo yelling and jumped to his feet, "Will you shut up! I told you it's not my fault! If you want to blame somebody, blame them!" He yelled pointing at Tohru and I, "They shouldn't even be here!"

"Hey!" I exclaimed offended.

"Leave them alone." Yuki interrupted softly, gaining Kyo's attention, "Who we choose to allow into this house is none of your business." He glared at him, "You're the one who doesn't belong here."

For some reason those words stung Kyo. He gritted his teeth in rage and punched the table with such a force that it split in half. It happened so quickly that Tohru and I couldn't move when part of the table hit us in the face. It wasn't until Shigure pointed out that we were bleeding that we finally felt a bit of pain and liquid sliding down our faces.

Even more surprising Yuki and Kyo started fighting!

"No! Yuki!" Tohru screamed when she saw Kyo aiming a lick at Yuki's head.

"Don't worry…" Shigure said coming over with the first aid kit, "…this goes back more than just today." He tended to Tohru's wounds first while I grabbed a cloth from the kit to wipe the bleeding spot above my eye brow. "Those two do nothing but fight every time they see each other."

"But…uh…shouldn't we stop them?" Tohru asked timidly as Shigure placed a square band-aid over her wound.

"No, it'll all be over in a second." Shigure said, turning around to look at the fight in time to see Yuki kick Kyo in the face. It was amazing that such a kick sent Kyo crashing through the paper-rice door and into the yard!

"He…sent him flying…" I whispered in awe.

"Yuki…try not to destroy the house, okay?" Shigure said meekly. His house has been getting damaged a lot since this morning.

"Sorry. I didn't think he'd go that far…" Yuki said not sounding the least bit sorry, "He should learn to keep his guard up." He turned to look at us, "Are you two okay?"

I nodded, "We're fine, but…" I looked at Kyo who was slowly recovering, "…is he alright?"

"The only thing hurt is his ego." Yuki said uncaringly.

"I guess you're disappointed about the cat, then?" Shigure said carelessly.

"Well…no." I began but then Kyo suddenly ran away with his head hung low, "Aw…"

I sighed disappointed; I wanted to at least talk to him. _'Shigure wasn't joking about the chip on Kyo's shoulder. I didn't think it was possibly for someone to be a short tempered as Kyo. Something probably makes him act like this. I kinda know…I've seen that kind of rage before…when my mom left me…'_

"School!" Tohru squealed breaking me out of my thoughts, "Oh no! I'm late! I'm late!" She panicked running upstairs to get her school things even putting on her uniform in record time, "Sorry! Thanks for everything! Gotta go! Gotta go!"

"I'm not sure you want to go in that uniform." Shigure said, interrupted her chibi run.

Tohru snapped out of her spaz to look at her muddy uniform, "Huh? Oh. It's not that bad! Maybe nobody will notice!"

We all sweat dropped at her, "We think they will."

"I know…" She bowed in apology, "But I promised mom that I have to go to school."

Shigure waved her apology, "That's fine, don't let me stop you."

I looked out into the yard, "Actually, Tohru, do you think you'll be fine without me going to school with you?"

She tilted her head in confusion, "Huh? Y-you're not going to school, Zakuro?"

I hated when she made that sad face of hers, those big blue eyes would make you weak and guilty in a heart beat, "Sorry, but I want to talk to Kyo…I want to tell him something, but I'm sure Yuki will look after you." I said pointing a look at him before turning back to her, "…besides you still have Ou and Hana there. Just tell the teacher I'm sick, okay?"

I gave her a hug good-bye and ran off into the bushes to find Kyo.

-0-

"Kyo! Kyo!" I yelled through my cupped hands, calling through the trees left and right for the past 20 minutes. "Here kitty kitty! Come out come out where ever you are!" I sang.

"What do you want?" a gruff voice replied from above my head.

Looking up into the tree, I saw Kyo sitting on a thick branch with an annoyed look on his face. I almost smiled at the irony of a cat stuck in a tree.

"Are you stuck up there?" I asked curiously.

Surprisingly his cat eats popped up on his head as he yelled at me, "Of course not! I'm not that stupid enough to get stuck in a damn tree!"

I held my hands up in surrender, "Sorry. Sorry." I apologized sincerely, _'Cat jokes are bad.' _"Is it okay if we talked?"

Kyo turned his head away from me, "There's nothing to talk about. Leave me alone. What are you even doing out here?"

_'I thought you wanted me to leave you alone.' _I craned my neck to get a better look at him, "I wanted to see if you were okay. You took a beating from-"

"Shut up!" He yelled at him, "That was a cheap shot! I'll beat that damn rat-boy next time!"

I tilted my head to the side in confusion, "Hmm…why do you hate Yuki so much? Sure his prince charms are annoying when it come to his fan girls but why else?"

"It's because it's **his fault** that I'll never be accepted into this family!" He snapped, "It's his fault that I'm left out! It's his fault that I don't belong!"

_'Ah…now this sounds familiar…_' I nodded my head in understanding, "I see…I understand."

Kyo looked down at me with mild shock, "What?"

With my neck getting tired, I moved under the tree to sit down, "Okay, I sort of understand your rage. I used get mad at everything and everyone all the time. One time I yelled at a class mate just for saying 'good morning to me'….the reason why I was so mad all the time back then was because my mom left me…"

I heard a small in take of breath from him.

"I was eight years old when she left me in Tohru's mom's care permanently. Earlier on I remember her just dropping me off at her house so she could go to the store for a few hours, but she started dropping me off more and more and staying away for long hours." I said going softer and softer, "One day…I found out why she was gone for so long so many times." I paused to swallow a lump in my throat, "Every since my dad had passed away my mother was coping by dating different guys every other week. Once or twice she would actually leave me with them." I glared at my feet bitterly, "What kind of mother would leave her eight year old daughter with a stranger? He even had the nerve to try to teach me to call him 'daddy'." I spat with venom, "I was even more angry with the fact that she left me with Tohru's mom to go toAmericaand expected me to be okay with it. At first I wasn't but I warmed up to it eventually. Tohru's mom taught me that I was wasting energy being angry all the time and after spending time with Tohru, I kind of understood that." I laughed.

Kyo was silent for a few moments before he softly asked, "What's you point?"

I shrugged my shoulders lightly, "I'm no Tohru, but I would have to say, try not to be so angry _all_ the time. I'm sure you feel guilty about letting your anger get the best of you when you accidently hit Tohru, but I'm willing to forgive you if you start being nice to her."

"…Whatever…"

_'That's a good enough start!'_ I smiled and stood up, "Alright then! As a first act of kindness you'll start by patching the roof you broke through!"

Kyo just sighed and made no effort to move. There was no way I was going to let Tohru suffer a night with a hole in the roof. Grabbing a small rock I threw it into the tree and hit Kyo in the head. It must've caught him off guard because he fell out of the tree easily.

"What the hell was that for?" He yelled at me when he jumped onto his feet.

"I apologize to you when you patch up the hole in the roof."

"Forget it! Do it yourself!"

'okay, time for plan B' I tilted my head down so that my bangs could cover my eyes. Biting my lip, I sniffled and trembled as if holding myself back from crying.

Almost immediately I had Kyo's attention, "H-hey! Are you crying?"

I sniffled and buried my face in my hands.

"Hey. Don't cry, it's not worth crying over." He rambled before finally submitting, "Alright! I'll fix the damn roof! Just stop crying!"

"Yay!" I cheered showing him my smiley face, "Let's go!" I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back to Shigure's house.

"Huh? What the hell was that? You were faking!"

"Of course, silly!"

It took a lot of struggling and arguing but Kyo managed to cover up the hole in the roof while I cleaned up the wood and debris. By the time we finished, Tohru and Yuki came home from school. It was touch and go when Shigure came home shortly after and his teasing cause Kyo to storm out of the house again after he tried apologizing to Tohru. Shigure assured us the Kyo would be back since he has no where else to go. After that he called us into the living room again to have a talk about Akito's decision. Tohru quickly explained to me who Akito was before Shigure continued further saying, "Akito decided that you two could keep your memories as long as you keep our secret and you can continue living here as well."

And that sealed the deal. From now on we could continue to live in Shigure's house worry free.

-0-

The next morning…Tohru and I decided to face the music…or rather the sea of trash Shigure and Yuki call a kitchen. I sometimes see why men can't have a house of their own. Trash and dishes pile up and garbage bags filled with take-out and expired food. Even the flies dropped dead in here!

"Well, it's not going to clean itself!" Tohru smiled determined.

I slouched over slightly wondering how much of the day it was going to take to clean it all up, "It was be a miracle if it did. Where do we even start?" I asked her.

"I don't know, but we can never give up!" She cheered setting to work on taking the landfill of trash. When's she's determined she really does dive into her work. Since she had removing the trash covered, I set to work on making everything shine.

When we had enough dishes and a clear counter to work on and after unearthing some kitchen ware we set to work on preparing lunch for when the guys get back.

It wasn't until sun set that everything was clean, cooked, and put away.

Just as I adjusted the time on the rice cooker Yuki decided to grace us with his presence. It was rewarding to see the look of surprise on his face when he saw how clean we made the kitchen, "Amazing! If I didn't know any better I'd say I walked into the wrong house. And since we do we have a rice cooker?"

"I found it in the trash!" Tohru smiled, "I hope you got your appetite cause lunch is ready!"

-0-

After thanking our food we quietly dug in. Yuki complemented us on how well it tasted all the while Tohru was worried it was too bland. It was a passing thought as too what was taking Shigure and Kyo so long to get back. Tohru had asked Yuki how he spent his morning and he told her he went to his 'secret base'. This got her excited as she told a very brief story how the boys in her neighborhood had one when she was a kid but she wasn't allowed in because she was a girl. In the middle of her story the sliding door opened with a slam and the mystery was solved as to where Shigure and Kyo were.

"Kyo! Just listen to me!" Shigure slightly raised his voice as he followed Kyo into the house.

"I don't want to hear it! You think it's fun jerking me around like that!"

"Now hold on, it wasn't – okay it was a little bit fun, but that's not why I did it! It was for your own good! And don't forget it was Akito's decision!"

Kyo stormed over to the other side of the room and opened the door that lead to the hallway, "Shut up! I don't give a damn about Akito!"

Tohru tried to calm the tension by saying she made them lunch only to have Kyo yell at her to shut up before closing the screen door.

"Kyo! Don't take this out on Tohru! And take off your shoes!" Shigure demanded taking off his own shoes.

"You're one to talk." Yuki and I said in unison.

After all that was said and done, Shigure sat down and explained to us why Kyo was upset. Apparently he made him take an entrance exam to get into our school and he was also going to be living with us starting today. Needless to say Yuki was not the least bit happy about that.

I looked up at the roof in thought. Going to school with him and having him live with us is going to be very interesting.

-0-

The next day at school homeroom was almost a riot when Kyo came. Three of the Prince Yuki fan club as well as a few other girls and guys crowded poor Kyo's desk asking him 'if Prince Yuki's was really his cousin' and 'if he knew anything about him'. Needless to say outside of the classroom, Kyo already had his own fan club forming.

"Kyo sure looks tense." I whispered looking at my poor orange haired friend.

"There's something about him that's almost inhuman…" Hana murmured, "His electric signals are almost the same as Yuki's."

"Hana, that's just rude." Uo scolded even though it was funny to her. She saw Yuki walk into the classroom and quickly called him, "Uh, hey, so this guy…is he really your cousin or what?"

Yuki didn't put on his kind front, if anything; it was a condescending one, "Yes that is the rumor going around. I prefer to leave it at that." He said walking back to his desk away from everyone else.

'_What's with him? He doesn't have to act so cold.'_

"Hey! I thought we were talking!" One of the fan girls yelled at Kyo who was trying to get away from all the girls. Bad move on her part when she grabbed him by the arm.

Kyo tensed up and accidentally grabbed the girl by her arm and flipped her, holding her arm in a dead lock. He was panting heavily and sweating a lot.

"Ah, Kyo, you shouldn't do that!" Tohru yelled.

"Leave me alone!" Kyo yelled breaking the girls to open the classroom window and jumped out of it. Everyone gathered around the window to see him land on his hands and feet and dash off to who knows where.

"That proves it! He's Prince Yuki's cousin!"

"I can't believe he jumped!"

"Hey! What about me! I nearly got my arm ripped off!"

I grabbed Tohru's hand, "Come on, let's go check on him."

-0-

Tohru and I searched almost the entire school grounds ever since Kyo jumped out of the window, we nearly given up thinking he had gone home until he heard his familiar voice.

"I will beat you and then I'll take my place as a true member of this family! I won't be left out anymore!"

Tohru panicked when she saw Kyo grab Yuki by his collar and without thinking she grabbed Kyo, causing him to transform in her arms.

"I am so sorry!" She apologized immediately, "But you can't keep fighting at school, you'll get into huge trouble and-"

"Shut up!" Kyo snapped at her, jumping out of her arms, "None of this has anything to do with you, you stupid little girl! From now on just stay the hell away from me!"

Tohru shrunk back from his rage and slowly walked away muttering to herself. I shot a fierce glare at Kyo, "I may love cats, but this one time I'm going to say that was very terrible of you. She only wanted to help, believe it or not, we were worried about you."

Turning on my heel I went to find Tohru. '_I understand that he might not have had it easy in his life, but he doesn't have to take his anger out on sweet little Tohru! That jerk…'_ I paused to look at my feet, 'but…I can't stay mad him for long because I understand that that's just the way he is…he probably can't control his anger well because he doesn't know how to interact with other people…'

I found Tohru kneeled under the emergency fire cabinet looking very sullen. Knowing her she was punishing herself. Uo and Hana came up behind me a few seconds later. Uo asked Tohru what she was doing on the floor only to have Tohru stand up to hit her head on the cabinet, playing it off that she bumped her head that's why she was crying.

_'We would worry, but we don't think her brain damage could get any worse.'_

-0-

Later that day and into the night…

'_Phew…another day of cosplay making over and done…'_ I rubbed my sore shoulders, _'…I had no idea that Tsubasa Chronicle would be so popular. Next week I have to work on Shugo Chara uniforms and capes…many request for Final Fantasy…I have no idea what a Soul Eater is or what a -man is but I have to work on those too…'_ I sighed heavily walking with my eyes closed down the dirt path that lead to Shigure's house, _'I wonder how much it would take to get more fabrics? Do I even have enough to get them here on time to make them?'_

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. All thoughts went out the window as I raised my leg to kick whoever was behind me. There was a low grunt and I opened my eye to see Kyo gritting his teeth since my leg came in contact with his.

_'Oops…'_ I grimaced preparing myself for when he yells at me.

Surprisingly, he doesn't say a word. He just stared at me.

"Uh…" I trialed off, not sure of what to say.

"If you got something to say then say it." Kyo snapped suddenly.

I flinched, "S-sorry. You just caught me off guard with being out here." I explained quietly looking anywhere but at Kyo.

Groaning Kyo covered his flustered face, "No…don't apologize…I'm the one who's sorry." This caught my attention immediately. He apologized to me! "…and don't worry…I apologized to Tohru too."

I smiled softly and nodded in approval, "That's good. I would've been mad at you if you didn't."

Kyo nearly laughed, "Heh. You be angry at me? That's a laugh."

I glared playfully at him, "Hey, I can have a mean side if I wanted. I'm only nice to Tohru, cute little kids, and cats!"

"What are you some kind of year of the cat fan club?" He asked sarcastically before walking in the direction of home, "Come on, let's go back."

"Yes as a matter of fact I am part of the year of the cat fan club with Tohru."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Kyo retorted.

"No it's not." I argued. Even though we're arguing like this, I'm enjoying it.

"No, really, it is." Kyo blushed.

-0-

Later that night, we all sat down for dinner and yes that included Kyo for the first time since we've arrived here. Tohru was so happy when Kyo decided to join us for dinner. It started off as nice until Shigure started his teasing which got Kyo riled up and yelling. Tohru asked Kyo if he liked the food. He hesitated to answer when he saw Yuki staring at him, "What?"

"Nothing." Yuki sighed.

"Why were you staring?"

"I was just looking."

"Well cut it out!"

Tohru's timing was off when she asked him, "You don't like it?"

"It sucks!" Kyo yelled before regretting it a few seconds later.

I laughed naturally at the situation, "The timing was off."

-0-

The next week at school it was free period in the class room and naturally since it was spring was coming to a end soon Tohru pulled out a deck of cards and suggested that we all play 'Rich Man Poor Man.'.

Uo, Hana, and I were game to play; Kyo however was being a sour puss.

"Aw, play with that damn Yuki I don't wanna." He replied lazily.

"Running away from a challenge. What are you? Some kind of sissy?" Uo asked, teasing him into playing.

Kyo fell for her trap, "Fine! I'll play your stupid game! Just don't cry when you lose."

"Okay, how about this? Loser cleans the entire classroom?" I asked setting the bet while shuffling the cards.

"Let's ask Yuki if he wants to play too!" Tohru smiled looking around for Yuki who wasn't here. Apparently no one saw him leave.

"Oh well, he'll play next time. Help me set up the desks." I told her moving the desks and chairs around to set up the cards. Rich Man, Poor Man was a hard game to play at first, but after few games, you get used to it. The objective of the game is to get rid of all your cards as soon as possible. The player to the dealer's left start of by leading any single card or any sets of cards of equal rank, like three fives. Each player must then pass or play a card or set of cards that beats the previous play.

Tohru played two sixes. I countered by playing two kings. Uo played three queens and thought she had us until Kyo threw down four eights.

"Revolution!" He declared smugly.

"Oh man!"

"You cheater!" Uo yelled, "What kind of cheap-ass tricks are you trying to pull?"

Kyo banged his fist on the desk, "What do you mean 'tricks'? Those are the rules!"

Tohru looked at her cards, "So 'Revolution' makes all high cards low, right?"

I was about to take my turn until Hana stopped me, "Wait. Reverse Revolution." She declared showing everyone four pairs of four.

There was a short pause before everyone began laughing at Kyo's unfortunate luck. It was almost embarrassing for him to be beaten by Hana but everyone was having good fun about it. I could tell Kyo was having fun as well. He was even smiling when the guys of the class joked around with him. He even wanted to play again!

"Come on, let's play again and this time I'm dealing the cards!" He said snatching the cards from me.

"What? You accusing me of dealing you a bad hand?" I teased.

He smirked at me, "I know you and the Yankee and the Psychic are out to get me. This time I'm not going to lose."

"Famous last words" I told him, taking the cards he gave us.

-0-

At the end of the school day had been decided that Kyo would be the one to clean the classroom despite winning the second and fourth round. He still lost the first time around. And like a true man he honored he loss and agreed to clean the classroom with minor help from me and Tohru. Yuki just watched as he talked to Tohru.

"Rich Man, Poor Man…I know the rules but I've never played the game."

"Uo taught Zakuro and me how to play! You should play with us next time."

Yuki smirked. "Looks like _Kyo _was the loser today, wasn't he?"

Kyo heard him and stopped cleaning the floors for a moment, considering whether or not to answer Yuki's insult. "Grr."

"He won the second and fourth round, but he still lost the first and that's the round we made the bet on." I explained sitting on one of the desks, "Do you want me to help you clean up?" I asked him.

"No. A loss is a loss."

"You sure?" Tohru asked, looking guilty of letting Kyo clean the class room alone.

"Don't worry about it. I'll win the first round next time." He said unwavering before pointing at Yuki's face, "Just like I'll win against you!"

Yuki stared at him with a bored expression, "Wait, wait. I think I've heard this one before." He said sarcastically causing Kyo to get even more pissed off.

"No joke, ass-hole! I am going to beat you! That's a promise!"

"I wish you'd stop making your inferiority complex my problem."

"I swear, every time you open your mouth it pisses me off!"

"And every time you open yours you sound like an idiot."

Sparksbegan to fly as they continued to throw insults back and forth. It was getting kind of tiring that they were always fighting. They can't even be in the same room together without throwing insults. _'I guess it's natural for cats and rats not to get along, but still, for a little while could they make nice?_'

"I'm gonna break your pretty-boy face!"

_'Guess not…'_

"Uh…you guys…" Tohru softly tried to gain their attention.

Kyo threw the mop behind him, "That's it! Let's go!" He aimed a punch at Yuki's head.

Yuki gracefully moved his head to the side before kicking Kyo in the jaw.

Tohru and I winced when Kyo landed on his back. That one actually looked like it hurt. For once, Kyo stayed down while Yuki glared venomously at him, "Gr, I can't even stand to look at you." Yuki said coldly before walking out of the classroom.

"Yuki…" Tohru whispered concerned.

"What's up with him?" I asked curiously.

"He must be in a bad mood or something." Kyo said wiping the blood off his mouth, he might've bitten his tongue, "He really did try to lay me out today."

"Yeah, he does seem a little more tense than usual." I said pulling out my lavender handkerchief to give to Kyo so he could wipe the blood up better. "Tohru, why don't you go ahead to work. I'll stay and help Kyo."

"O-oh, are you sure? I can stay and help."

I patted her head fondly, "Tohru, my boss doesn't care if I'm late or not as long as I get the clothes done. You, however, need to go before you're late." I gave her a loving push out the door, "See you at home."

She put up less of a fight as I had hoped. When she was down the hall I turned my attention back to Kyo who was still looking at the hankie I gave him.

"Use it to wipe your mouth and tongue." I told him grabbing the mop he threw away and propped it against the wall, "You talk as if your mouth is bleeding."

"You didn't have to do that; it would've stopped bleeding eventually." Kyo said wiping his mouth up anyway, "I'll wash it and give it back to you."

I walked to the other side of the classroom to grab the erasers to clap them outside the window, "Don't worry about it. It's the least I could do since Yuki took his anger out on you for a change." I opened the window and clapped the erasers, "Still I wondered what got him upset."

"Who cares? Any way, don't worry about helping me." He went to go get the mop to finish the floors, "don't you have to go to work too or something?"

"Yeah but like I told Tohru my boss doesn't care as long as I get the clothes done."

Kyo looked at me curiously, "So, what, do you make clothes or something?"

I nodded proudly, "Yeah, all kinds of clothes, but I mostly specialize in the cosplay department."

This time Kyo looked confused, "What the hell is cosplay?"

I laughed to myself, "If you don't know then never mind."

Irritated, he continued working, "Fine then, I don't care!"

I giggled quietly to myself, _'I think it's a little easier getting closer to Kyo as friends like this. If anything he's a little more energetic and lively when we tease him. He may be loud and rough, but he really is a shy person.'_

"Hey! What are you giggling about?"

-0-

The next morning at lunch Tohru presented us with liver and leeks. She apparently missed Kyo's disgusted look as she cheered, "Eat up everyone!"

Kyo's kitty ears popped on his head in anger, "Are you crazy? I hate leeks!"

"You also hate onions and miso, too, don't you?" Shigure listed as he read the newspaper.

"Hey, miso is okay as long as its soup." Kyo corrected.

"You should've said something while we were cooking." I told him.

"Well, I didn't know we were having leeks!"

Fed up with the arguing Yuki grabbed Kyo's chopsticks, picked up some leeks and forced them in Kyo's mouth while holding his nose, "Just eat." He ordered him.

We were a little surprised by Yuki's forceful behavior. Though we were getting a little worried that Kyo might've passed out since he wasn't moving at all.

_'I guess it's still going to be a while before these two could get along completely.'_


	3. Hell hath no fury like a women's love

(c) Natsuki Takaya

Zakura Kojima belongs to me!

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>A few days later the next morning after breakfast we were all sitting around the living table when we felt a large tremor that shook the very house…it almost felt like an earthquake but Yuki and Shigure sat around calmly while Kyo looked as though he was having a heart attack.<p>

"Sound's like she's here early." Shigure said looking up from his newspaper.

"You're expecting someone?" Tohru asked when she heard the front door open.

When Kyo heard it too, he tried to make a dash out the back door behind Shigure but Shigure caught him by the back of his blue jacket, "Ah-ah, not so fast Kyo."

"Tohru, why don't you get the door?"

She nodded and went to open the sliding door that lead to the front door. For a while it seemed that no one was there until a young girl with shoulder length brown hair in a green dress appeared shyly behind the corner of the door.

"Excuse me…I'm Kagura Sohma…please…I heard that Kyo was here." She said with twinkly eyes, "Please tell me that it's true."

"Yes, Kyo's here. Would you like to see him?" Tohru said politely moving out the way so Kagura could get a better view of Kyo trying to escape.

"Kyo?" Kagura whispered a little shocked to see him.

"Kagura!" Kyo shouted in horror. Honestly, why is he afraid of such a cute little girl? She looks harmless.

"Kyo! Kyo!" Kagura cried slowly frolicking across the living room to get to Kyo. When she reached him, he fell on his butt in fear, "Why did you run away for so long? You didn't call me…or send a card…"

Kyo practically trembled in fear so some odd reason. Is he afraid of little girls on the brink on crying?

"…where were you? Oh, darling…" She whispered tenderly before her personality completely changed, "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Her eyes went white with rage as she struck Kyo across the face with such a force it knocked him all the way through the screen door and into the yard! So that's why he was scared.

"Love! You had me worried sick!"

"Oh geez…" was all I could utter when she ran out there to grab Kyo by his ankle and swung him around like a lasso.

Yuki stared at the broken door with a blank expression, "Well, it looks like we'll be needing another door, doesn't it."

Shigure hung his head in sadness, "Sometimes it seems that the whole world is conspired to destroy my house." He whimpered. Lately it does seem that way.

"Such power." I whispered in awe while watching Kagura beat the crap out of Kyo with Tohru, "Do you think Kyo's okay?"

"This is Kagura's normal way of showing affection." Shigure explained.

"She must like Kyo a lot then." Tohru lightly joked.

"It's especially true when it comes to Kyo. You may not believe it, but she's actually two years older than us." Yuki told us, "She's also a member of the Zodiac."

"Really?" Tohru's blushed with happiness, "So which animal is she?"

I tilted my head in thought, "I want to say she's the dragon since she's so fierce, but I could be wrong. She could be a vicious tiger for all I know."

When Kyo fell to the ground in a bloody bruised heap, Kagura finally snapped out of her rampage to see the damage she had done…only she didn't know she did it…

"Oh, Kyo, darling, what happened? You're hurt!" She grabbed his head and held him close to her chest, "Speak to me! Who did this to you?"

"You did it." Shigure, Yuki, and I told her.

-0-

After the door was somewhat fixed (there's a giant hole in the middle) we settled down in the living room for tea and snacks.

"It's cold in here…" Yuki stated nonchalantly.

"Yes, I noticed that as well." Shigure agreed.

Kagura turned back into the sweet innocent girl from before, only this time we knew she wasn't as innocent as she made us believe, "I'm sorry, but when I saw Kyo…all my love just came out at once…I couldn't help it." Then she pointed a look at Kyo, "But it is your fault too, Kyo…if you had just remembered to call me I wouldn't have missed you so hard."

Kyo sat with his back to her, nursing his bruised cheek with a cold towel, "Who said I forgot? Maybe I didn't want to call you."

Kagura smiled softly, "Oh, silly, yes you did. We are getting married after all."

I nearly spat out my tea when she announced that. When Tohru heard, she had a big grin on her face.

"Since when?"

"You mean you don't remember? When we were kids you asked me to marry you."

"Only 'cause you were going to kill me if I didn't!" even as a kid she was violent?

"So you're engaged?" Tohru exclaimed, "That's wonderful!"

"Congratulations!" Yuki said in unison.

"You guys!" Kyo yelled in disbelief that they were turning on him.

"Kyo!" Kagura exclaimed getting close to him again, "Be honest with me! Do you love me? Do you hate me? Because I love you! I love you more than anything in the entire world! I'll prove it! I'll cook for you everyday! I'll do anything!" She rambled quickly, not giving him a chance to protest, "Even if you cheat on me, I can forgive a one time fling! No one else loves you this much do they? No! Just me!" _I don't think she would give them a chance to love them. _"We should always be together, don't you think?" When he didn't answer fast enough, she grabbed him by the collar, "I just told you what you think! Now say something, dammit!"

As much as we would love to help him, it looks like he was on his own dealing with someone as scary as Kagura.

"It pains my heart, but moving on…Zakura, aren't you a bit of a cat lover yourself?" Shigure asked me curiously.

A red sign went up somewhere when he asked that question. "Yeah. I'm the year of the cat fan club."

Suddenly Kagura was nearly in my face, teary eyed and flustered, "A rival! I'm not going to lose! Zakura what do you love best about Kyo? Because I like everything! Everything!"

"Hey."

"The good things! The bad things! I like them all! I love Kyo no matter what, even if he changes into his other for-" Her rambling was cut short when Kyo's hand slapped against her mouth.

The air suddenly darkened ten-fold when he cut off her sentence. Kagura was apparently going to say something that probably shouldn't be said since Kyo threatened her.

"YOU'LL DO WHAT, LOVE?" She exclaimed sitting on Kyo's back, twisting his arm in a way I don't think should be twisted.

"You should really call 'mercy', Kyo." Yuki supplied dully.

Not sure of what else to do, Tohru went to go do the laundry, "Zakura, can you help me?"

Standing up I followed her out the living room and into the laundry room. Before Tohru was in charge of doing everyone's laundry, but to help her out depending on the week we exchange laundry shifts. This week she's doing Yuki's clothes while I did Kyo's. For Shigure's we rock-paper-scissors…

Lifting up the lid she pulled out one of Yuki's white shirts and stretched it out to get out some of the water, "Kagura really is interesting, huh?"

I helped her move Yuki's clothes into the basket that goes out side for hanging, "She is spirited, I'll give you that. It's almost a scary thought of Kyo does have to marry her." I almost laughed at the thought of a shot gun wedding. I picked up one of Kyo's black shirts and a haunting voice scared me out of my wits.

"That's not Kyo's shirt is it?"

"That depends…you're not going to hurt me if they are, right?" I asked a little frighten. She beat up Kyo no problem, she'd snap me like a tooth pick!

She grabbed Kyo's basket of clothes, "Don't worry! I'll do it! It's okay with you two, right!" We can tell by her tone that she was persistent.

Tohru looked at me unsurely. There was no way I was going to be killed by her over Kyo's clothes. "Since she insists, I guess it wouldn't be all bad."

"Yay! Thank you so much!" Kagura cheered before running out of the room, leaving Kyo's basket, surprisingly.

"Don't mention it…" Tohru mutters. Going through Kyo's basket I grabbed a black shirt and a pair of pants. "Zakura?"

I chuckled uneasily, "Better to be safe than sorry. I'm going to hang on to these as back up clothes just in case."

I hid them behind my back just in time when Kagura came back with the shirt and jacket that Kyo was wearing earlier today.

"What's wrong?" Tohru asked concerned seeing Kagura's head down.

"Why does Kyo hate me? I don't understand…" She cried into his jacket before pulling back, exclaiming how bad it stinks, "How on earth could you let him wear this? My poor sweet darling will have fresh clothes since I'm the future Mrs. Kyo Sohma!" She grabbed his basket of clothes and dumped in all in the washer. Then she grabbed the detergent and dumped the whole bottle before Tohru and I could stop her.

-0-

Later on that day Yuki and Tohru went out to shop for dinner while I stayed behind for damage control. Shigure was hiding away somewhere and Kyo hasn't come back yet. Kagura was bustling around the house like a happy house wife thinking of Kyo.

_'Her determination to make him happy was admirable, I'll give her that.' _ I went into the laundry room to check on Kyo's clothes to find that Kagura had beaten me there. She taken out the jacket Kyo was wearing earlier and happily sang that the smell was gone.

"Maybe I should wrong it out to make it dry faster!" She twisted the shirt so tightly that it ripped in two from her strength!

I stood there open mouthed, "How are you going to explain _that_ to Kyo?"

"Ah! Tell me you didn't just do what I think you did!" Kyo shouted staring at his ruined jacket.

Kagura stared at Kyo with love in her eyes, "My love…"

"My shirt!" he snapped taking it away from her, "and I really liked this one too…"

From behind Kagura I saw the washing machine shaking violently. Kagura apparently didn't turn it off when she took out his shirt and now the bubbles were starting to spew from it, "Uh, guys?"

"Is there anything of mine you didn't wash?"

"…your pants…"

"What am I supposed to do now? Go around half-naked?" Kyo snapped at her unaware of the growing soap mound behind them.

I stepped out into the hallway as the soapy water engulfed them both and carried them into the hallway. Shigure stood behind me, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Kagura, how much detergent did you use?"

"All of it!"

Shigure then sniffed the air, "Is something burning?"

Kagura's head popped up out of the sea of soap, "Oh no! The tea!"

Kagura ran through the sea of bubble to get into the kitchen. When she touched the tea kettle it burned her hands causing her to drop it on the floor on the edge of the stove. The bottom of the kettle was still burning hot and it caught fire on the appliance that was flammable.

"Fire!" I yelled grabbing a dish towel to flame out the flames while Kyo used the remains of his blue jacket to help me.

"Coming through." Shigure sang hosing all of us with the fire extinguisher.

-0-

After the fire was completely put out, along with the rest of the kitchen, we all sat in the living room covered in foam. Kyo and I weren't happy about the entire situation, but Shigure found amusement in it.

"My, don't we look lovely?"

"I can't believe you're laughing." Kyo said dead panned.

Shigure picked up an anger mark and placed it on his head, "Right. Now I'm mad." He may have the mark to prove it, but he sure didn't sound it.

"I'm sorry." Kagura apologized for the what seemed like the hundredth time since she had arrived. "I didn't do it on purpose.

Shigure removed the anger mark, "I know that, Kagura."

"You still did it!" Kyo snapped at her.

"I'm so sorry, Kyo." She whimpered on the verge of tears again.

"Sorry isn't going to get us a new kitchen."

Kagura's frame shook slightly before she grabbed Kyo and pulled him into an arched position that badly cracked his spine.

-0-

After Kagura had let him go Kyo high-tailed it to the safety of his room. I knew he wouldn't stay there long with Kagura's impressive 'Kyo senses' so I thought I would bring him his spare shirt so he wouldn't have to run around in the cold anymore.

Knocking on his door, I heard shuffling on the other side before it went deadly quiet. Sliding the door open, I peeked inside to see Kyo trying to make his escape to the roof.

"Don't worry, Kyo. It's just me." I told him walking into his room with his shirt and grey jacket on my arm.

"Well, I obviously can't be too careful with Kagura here!" He snapped at me, "It's only going to be a matter of time before she finds me up here."

I flapped my hand at him, shooing off his concern, "Don't worry, she's in the kitchen trying to clean up the mess." I walked across the room to where he was standing and held out his clothes, "Anyway, here. I managed to save these from the wash. If you give me your blue jacket I can fix it for you real quick."

Kyo looked a little taken aback by the gesture. I guess he wasn't used someone doing something so nice for him. With a light blush on his face he gently took the shirts from me and handed me his torn jacket.

I held up the pieces at eye level to see what I'm working with, "Hm, I should have it done by tonight…but maybe I need to get more fabric since there doesn't seem like a lot I can work with…" I muttered the rest to myself.

Kyo slipped on his clothes without looking at me, "I don't care just do what you have to do." He walked over to the sliding glass window to climb on the roof.

I turned around to leave his room and right when I was about to close the door behind me, he called me again.

"Hey."

I stopped to listen to him. For a moment he didn't say anything, but then he murmured a quiet 'thank you' before climbing up to the roof.

For some odd reason I felt so happy to hear that from Kyo. Maybe he was starting to see us as friends! I'm so glad!

-0-

Later that evening as I was sewing on the sleeve onto Kyo's nearly finished jacket I was greeted by Tohru who walked into the living room with a troubled look on her face.

"What's wrong, Tohru?" I asked her as a mother would ask her child.

"I'm worried about leaving Kagura in there by herself to clean up. It's too big a job for her to do it alone." She told me as she sat next to me.

"I'm sure Shigure told you that Kagura wouldn't let anyone help. She's determined to do it alone since she made the mess." I finished sewing the sleeve on and tied a little knot to keep the seams together. "Don't worry about her though. I'm sure she'll come around."

Tohru didn't look to sure but took my word for it as Shigure sulked in complaining that he wouldn't have Tohru's delicious dinner and would have to order take-out.

Sadly when take-out came, Kagura and Kyo didn't come to eat. It was a little depressing to see both of them acting this way. Kagura being sad because Kyo wasn't returning her love…Kyo was just being Kyo when someone annoyed him.

"Kagura and Kyo didn't have their dinners…" Tohru said later that night when Shigure and Yuki went to bed.

I pulled Tohru's peach pjs out of the dresser along with my lavender ones, "I have to give Kyo back his jacket so I'll make him some rice balls with the left overs. Why don't you give some motherly advice to Kagura? It looks like she needs some."

Tohru smiled softly, "That's a good idea!" She quickly changed into her pajamas and almost ran into the kitchen to make the rice balls.

By the time I had changed and went to the steps she met me half way with Kyo's rice balls on a little blue plate, "Maybe you can also get him to come down…"

Giggling I took the rice balls with my free hand, "No promises."

I took the rice balls and his jacket out side of Kyo's room and climbed the ladder to get to the roof. Sure enough Kyo was still there laying on his side looking at the night sky.

"Still up here?" I asked causing Kyo to yell in surprise, "Sorry…" I giggled climbing up to the roof with the rice balls and jacket in one hand while using the other to pull myself up. Carefully I moved across the tiles to sit near Kyo. I presented him with his jacket and food. "Here you go I finished your jacket and Tohru made you some rice balls with the left overs."

Kyo took the items looking rather thoughtful, "Uh, thanks." He set the plate down between them and took two of the three and handed one to me, "Here."

Nodding in thanks I took the rice ball from him, blushing when our fingers brushed, "Thanks, so how long do you plan on staying up here?" I asked him.

"Until Kagura leaves of course! You see what happens when she's around! And she never shuts up about that stupid love and marriage crap." He brushed his hand through his hair, "It drives me crazy!"

"Almost everything drives you crazy, Kyo." I chuckled, biting into my rice ball, "But I have to admire Kagura's love for you. Lots of girls dream of marrying someone they love someday. She just has a more physical way of showing it."

Kyo scoffed, "It's still stupid…"

I finished off my rice ball and look at him, "Don't you have a dream? To beat Yuki?"

"Oh, yeah, guess Shigure told ya, huh?" Kyo guessed finishing his rice ball too.

"What's it like? Was it hard training by yourself?" I asked curiously. It must've been cool training in the mountains. I can sort of imagine Kyo mediating on a rock near a waterfall and practicing his punches and kicks against a tree.

"No, I wasn't alone. I was with my master."

My eyes widen, "Whoa! A real master? Is he strong?"

Kyo smiled widely, and I mean a real smile, "Are you kidding? He can flatten that sissy rat-boy Yuki with one punch!" He stood up with excitement as he spoke freely and happily about his master, "My master's as strong as they come! He's a Sohma but he never treated me like the others!" He pumped his fists up, "He put me through hell up there in the mountains but those were some of the best days in my life! Everyday was like an adventure, you know? Every day I would wonder 'what's he going to teach me?' 'how much stronger am I going to get today?' It was great!" He then sighed blissfully, "Ahh, listen to me. Just talking about it gets me pumped up!"

I've never seen Kyo so animated…it was relaxing to hear him talk about himself for once in such a care free way. _'I want him to be this way more often. I want him to smile and talk like this more often around us…'_

Suddenly Kyo flopped back down with his legs crossed embarrassed, "Er, I bet this sounds pretty boring to you, huh?"

I rapidly shook my head, "No, no! It's sounds fascinating actually! I don't know much about fighting, but the way describe it sounds exciting!"

Kyo looked like he didn't believe me. So I lightly punched him in the arm. I felt like several different kinds of idiots when he didn't do anything.

"…you suck." He chuckled at me.

Blushing I dropped my hand, "So what? I've never fought before…"

Grabbing my hand into his warm one he clasped it into a fist, "Your fist is supposed to be like this, got it? And when you punch you have to put your whole body into it – like you really mean it."

"Oh, right."

-0-

The very next morning…

"Kyo, darling! Good-bye my love!" Kagura gushed, hugging Kyo from behind while he was brushing his teeth. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone!"

"I wouldn't have to take care if you would just stay away!"

Tohru cleaned up the table while watching them, "It's good to see she cheered up."

"Yeah." I agreed helping her with the cups, "by the way did you figure out what Zodiac animal she is?"

Tohru frowned, "No, I forgot to ask her last night. We were so caught up in fixing the door that-"

"Kyo! Be nice or I'm not going to kiss you good-bye!" Kagura cried.

"Who needs it?" Kyo retorted not caring that he hurt her feelings.

"That's it! Kyo you jerk! I'm leaving you!" She declared stampeding out the front door and how unfortunate for us that the paper boy was right there in her line of fire. We all panicked when they came in contact with each other, but luckily for us, Yuki came out of no where and enchanted the paper boy away with his charms and a hard shove.

From the brown smoke Tohru picked up Kagura, "Hey! I figured out Kagura's Zodiac animal! She's a boar!"

We all sweat dropped at her, _'That's cheating…'_

When it was all said and done Kagura went home without much of a fuss or a beating for Kyo. She actually left happily waving to us good-bye promising she'll come back for another visit. I dearly hope that Shigure has insurance on that house. Who knows how much abuse it'll be able to endure.


	4. Rescue the timid princess!

(c) Natsuki Takaya

Zakura Kojima belongs to me!

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Rescue the timid princess!<p>

The following day Tohru and I decided learn a little more about Yuki and Kyo's interests to get to know them better. Tohru and Yuki had been getting a little closer together apparently. Every now and then they would disappear to go to Yuki 'secret base' and come back all smiley and happy. The upside to it is that now we can get certain fruits and vegetables from Yuki's garden and save money from buying from the store. Kyo and I got used to each other more or less. He hasn't changed much around the others, which is fine, but he learned to tolerate me being around him when he's sulking. If anything we talk a lot more when he is. He even showed me a few self defense moves. I had wanted to learn more offensive stuff but he said I wouldn't have to worry about since he would literally fight my battles if he had too. I thought it was pretty sweet of him to offer that.

Tohru and I went to the library later after school and looked up books on gardening and martial arts. Tohru had found some great dinner recipes in one of the books she found which she was happy for. I found one or two books myself that seemed interesting romances and fantasy. _'For once I'm not reading manga.'_

"Ah, Miss Honda and Kojima, I've been looking for you." Our homeroom teacher called from the doorway to the library. We both looked up at the sound of our last name, "You have a phone call waiting in the staff office. Come with me, please."

"Uh, yes, sir," I said, grabbing our things.

Tohru looked a little worried, but I sent her a reassuring smile. _'It's not like we were in trouble or anything. We couldn't have done anything wrong.'_

The man pointed out the phone in the office, and I picked it up. "This is Zakura," I said.

I stood up straighter at the familiar voice on the other end.

"Grandpa Honda, hi!"

When I heard what he had to say, it felt like all time had stopped.

_'Well, Tohru was right to worry.'_

I relayed the message to Tohru and she took it exactly how I expected she would. She was shocked, surprised, worried, then depressed. Shocked to hear from her grandpa, surprised to hear that the renovations being done, worried about how to tell Shigure and the others, depressed that she would have to leave them…yeah that's right…she…

Tohru rushed to the bathroom to sob her eyes out and I rushed in after her and comforted her. She didn't want to leave the Sohma house and she certainly didn't want to live anywhere without me with her. I didn't know what to do or say at that point so I just held her close and soothed her as much as possible until she composed herself.

-0-

Later that afternoon, Tohru decided to break the news to Shigure and Kyo while Yuki was out. She didn't want to be a bother putting it off and she reminded me that she had promised to stay at Shigure's house until the renovations were finished. She'd feel selfish if she'd continue to burden them. And even though I told her they wouldn't find it as a burden, she was firm about it.

Tohru and I knelt down at the table across from Shigure, who was reading the paper. Kyo was outside the open door on the lawn practicing his punches.

"We...just found out that the renovations are done." Tohru started off awkwardly.

Shigure put his paper down and Kyo stopped and turned to look at us.

"I, uh...got a call from my grandfather up at the school. He told me."

"Ah, I see," Shigure said. "And if memory serves, you two were planning to move back into the house once the work was done, is that right?"

"What renovations?" Kyo asked, now just outside the door instead of on the lawn.

"Oh, I guess we never told you, Kyo," Shigure said.

"So what? Tell me now."

"Well, you see," I started to explain "…after the accident, we went to stay with Tohru's grandfather on her father's side. But then we found out that her aunt, her husband, and their children were going to move into the house, too, and Grandpa decided it would be a good idea to have some remodeling done, you know, to make more room for everyone. So he went to stay with my aunt while the work was going on and we stayed here so we wouldn't miss school. Well, we didn't stay here-here." I began to ramble, "Not at first, I mean. We were living in a tent for a while. But anyway, now that they've finished with all the construction, it looks like Tohru can go back-"

"Okay! Enough already!" Kyo snapped.

I snapped my head up and looked at him.

He cut off whatever he was going to say next and exhaled, looking down at the ground, as if he were sorry he had yelled at me. "I get it."

"I'm sorry, I just thought..." I didn't finish my sentence.

"Don't mind him," Shigure said. "I think we caught him a little off-guard with the news is all. We've just witnessed a classic example of what I like to call 'misdirected rage.' I believe the technical term is 'being an ass.'?"

"You are so full of it!" Kyo yelled at him.

"I guess I can understand," Shigure continued, as if Kyo hadn't spoken. "This does seem sudden."

"I suppose I should go ahead and get my things packed," Tohru said. "While I still have the rest of the afternoon. I'll try to be out of your way by this evening."

"Please," Shigure said as Kyo turned his back to us, "don't hurry on our account. Feel free to take as much time as you need."

"Thanks," She said, "but I'm sure they could use my help straightening up and everything. And like the saying goes, 'Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.'"

She bowed and stood from the floor. "We'll be right upstairs if you need us,"

She slid open the door and nearly ran into Yuki as she headed for the stairs.

He looked stunned, as if someone burned his garden.

"Oh, Yuki," Tohru said. "Thank you so much for everything you've done for us," "Uh...anytime," he said still recovering a little bit.

Tohru hung her head a bit before continuing her way up the stairs.

-0-

Yuki continued to look down the hall forlorn.

Shigure looked at Yuki and sighed. "A thousand perfectly lovely things you could have said, but what poetry spews from your mouth? _'Anytime.'_ Really, Yuki. I think that must be the most unsentimental thing I've ever heard or at the very least, insensitive. How do you expect to sustain any kind of, oh, I don't know, meaningful relationship...?"

Yuki tuned out his cousin's prattle, thinking instead of what life at Shigure's house would be like now that they- now that she was leaving.

I sighed, feeling a little depressed myself. I don't think this house is going to be the same without Tohru. She's part of the reason why the house has so much life now.

Yuki sat across from Shigure at the table, and Kyo lay on his side, facing away from them towards the closed door, his right arm cushioning his head.

"Well, what about you, Zakura? Aren't you going with her?" Shigure asked.

I shook my head before resting it on my palm, "I wish that I could, but they don't have enough room for me. Tohru's going to have to share a room with her aunt's daughter while her aunt and uncle share a room and grandpa Honda has his own room since it's his house." I looked out the door, "Grandpa Honda apologized to me over and over since he knew how much I meant to Tohru and he knew how upset she would be since I can't go live with them." I sighed feeling a little agitated, "I know Tohru's going to be miserable there without me! Everyone there besides her Grandpa are awful! They hated her mom so they take verbally take it out on Tohru! I want to be there with her to help her through that!" _'But I know I can't! I'm not Uo or Hana, I don't have the potential to scare them into letting Tohru stay with the Sohmas. They'll call the police on me in a second.'_

"Aren't you going to try?" Shigure asked, breaking the silence.

I wasn't sure if he was asking me or the guys, but he did bring up a point…I didn't try first. But I shouldn't be rash about it yet. Tomorrow when I see Tohru I'll ask her how it is over there…if she likes it there she can stay…if not then I'll try to get her out.

-0-

"There's some fish left in the refrigerator eat it soon so it doesn't go bad, okay? And you're almost out of soy sauce so you'll need to pick some up at the store," Even when leaving she's very motherly, "And don't forget, they changed the day to pick up garbage, so be sure you put it out on time…What else...?" She muttered to herself, "Oh, here," she pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of her bag. "I wrote down my grandfather's address and everything. So if there's anything you can't figure out, you know where to find us!"

"Thank you, Tohru," Shigure said, taking the piece of paper from hery hand. "You really are too good to us."

"Not at all!" She said, "And don't worry I still won't tell anyone about your family curse."

Shigure smiled and nodded.

"Speaking of which," Yuki said, "where is that cat?"

"I'd think you'd know by now," Shigure said. "After all, sulking on the roof does seem to be one of the strange little ways Kyo shows he cares."

We just smiled, knowing that it was true.

"Anyway," Shigure said to her, "good luck settling into your new home."

"I will." She turned towards me. She must've saw that I was basically holding a tsunami behind my eyes and gave me the tightest hug she could give me, "Bye, Zakura."

I hugged her back just as tightly, "Dummy…you'll still see me tomorrow at school. Don't let your relative push you around, okay?" I rushed to say before I completely choke up, "If they give you any trouble or even give you the evil eye just call me okay?"

She nodded in agreement but I knew she wouldn't tell me if they were bothering her.

With that she turned and walked out of the house and down the dirt path that lead to her new home...

A strange feeling washed over me as the cool evening breeze touched my skin. It felt like a part of me had been left behind as Tohru continued walking away.

We've been together since we were kids. It's feels wrong that she's not around me anymore. Who's going to randomly hold my hand just because she's nervous? Who's going to smile at every little thing for no reason? Who's going to trip down the steps? And walk into walls? Who's going to be clumsy?

-0-

"Well, as far as goodbyes go," Shigure said as he and Yuki walked into the kitchen, "that felt pretty good, I guess."

They noticed a tray on the table, and a little note from the girls saying that they'd left them one last dinner, and that they hoped they liked it.

Shigure smiled. "Although I'd be lying if I didn't say it left me feeling a little bit sad, too."

Yuki remained silent, his mind too full to say anything.

-0-

Next morning…

"Zakura? What's for breakfast, I'm starving!"

Yuki and Kyo shot daggers from their eyes at Shigure while I had tears welded up in my eyes. Yuki and Kyo were comforting me silently before Shigure had come in.

Shigure sighed sadly realizing the mistake he made, "I forgot! What's wrong?"

Yuki gave him a look. "That sounded like you 'forgot' on purpose."

"No, of course not!" Shigure said. "That would be pretty despicable, don't you think? But you know, with Tohru not here, it does feel like all the fire's gone out of this kitchen, doesn't it? Suddenly it feels so cold and dreary!"

"Dammit!" Kyo shouted. "You are saying that on purpose, aren't you?" He lunged at him, but Shigure stopped him with a palm to his forehead.

"In any event," Shigure continued, as if he weren't holding Kyo back, "consumed by grief though we are, I suppose we can't help but get hungry at some point. Which reminds me, Tohru left us a pot of her delicious beef stew in the refrigerator, yes?"

Yuki opened the fridge and pulled out a pot.

"There," Shigure said, smiling. "Now why don't you heat that up for us, Zakura?"

Zakura took the pot from Yuki and set it on the stove turning the heat on medium-high she set to work on making breakfast to the best of her abilities.

"Hey. Do you even know how to cook?" Kyo asked her curiously.

"I've helped Tohru a few times." I said a little defensively, "I've even taken Home Ec. Classes so it can't be that hard to cook a simple breakfast."

Kyo sighed heavily before taking the ladle from my hand and walked over to the stove to stir the stew, "I'll focus on this while you make something else."

Not feeling like fighting, I did what he said.

-0-

Kyo poured the now hot stew into four bowls and set them out on the table while I set out toast, tea, and rice.

"I'd have to rate your presentation a zero," Yuki said.

"Fine!" Kyo shouted. "So do it yourself next time!"

"We thank you for this stew, Zakura," Shigure said, wanting Kyo and Yuki not to start another fight that would most likely end in some part of his house getting destroyed again.

He took a slurp and sighed happily. "Ah, I'm in heaven."

"It's nothing as fancy as Tohru would've made but at least we have something in our stomachs." I told them, still upset that my little ball of sunshine isn't here next to me.

Kyo and Yuki ate silently.

"And to think," Shigure said to them, "two bright, handsome young men like you couldn't even find a way to keep the girl who cooked this delicious stew from leaving. Oh, the tragedy..."

"If she can go back to Miss Honda's grandfather's house," Yuki said, as he and Kyo both gave Shigure looks, "there's no reason for her to stay here, is there?"

Shigure sighed sadly, as if he hadn't noticed their glares. "I'm afraid only our sorrow will tell us, as the long, lonely hours pass us by."

Yuki and Kyo were not amused.

Shigure sighed again. "And our only consolation will be the few scattered traces of her presence left about the house."

Kyo and Yuki continued eating.

"Like this cute little strawberry towel, for instance," Shigure continued, producing the yellow towel from under the table. "Tohru left it hanging in the shower. I have but to press it against my face-"

Yuki, my and Kyo's backs stiffened.

Shigure breathed deep. "-and the sweet smell that used to fill this house reminds me of happier days."

Kyo and Yuki both jumped up and whaled Shigure.

"You sick bastard!" Kyo shouted.

Then they took their seats again and calmly continued eating.

Shigure lay on the ground, twitching painfully.

I grabbed Tohru's fallen towel and cradled it against my face and freely allowed the tears to seep into the towel. (Imagine chibi crying)

-0-

_'Stupid Algebra and Geometry…'_ I grumbled to myself, _'I honestly don't care to find the diameter or radius of a can of soup. And I really don't care about solving for x in any situation.'_

I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't even notice running into Tohru till it was too late.

"Oh gosh! Zakura I'm so sorry! It's my fault! Here let me help!"

I didn't even grab her hand, I jumped up and glomped her! "Tohru! I missed you so much!" I cried. One night away was way too long. I pulled back from her and noticed a look of despair on her face, "Hey, are you okay? Are you sick or something...?"

"Huh? Oh...I'm alright" she said looking away.

I tutted my tongue at her. If there's one thing I know about Tohru is that when she lies or tries to hide that something's wrong with her, she avoids looking me in the eye.

"Don't lie to me, Tohru. No you're not, so tell me the truth. What's wrong?" I asked her holding her hand in comfort.

She left out a small sigh before talking, "I really shouldn't complain I mean I have so much to be grateful for alr-"

I cut her off mid sentence, "Stop right there!" I held my index finger to her face, "I want you to do me a favor. Complain. Tell me right now, honestly, what's wrong. I can't help you if you dress up the problem." I said with a smirk.

Tohru half smiled. "Ok..."

"Now, I'm no Hana but start by telling me what you're feeling right now since you left."

"Well...I feel lonely, I guess, a bit sad and…stressed I think...?"

I nodded at her statement. We were making progress. Now that I know she's unhappy I can do something about it.

"Now tell me a little bit of why?"

"I said hello to Yuki and Kyo today and it felt...empty...it wasn't the same as before between all of us….I didn't want things to change between all of us" She bit her lower lip, "I really shouldn't gossip...My aunt and uncle...I feel so much tension in that house...I don't feel like I fit in…"

I smiled and stroke her head as she lightly tried to wipe the tears out of her eyes, "Now let me ask you this, Tohru…what do _you_ want?"

She sniffled a few times before answering me, "I-I...I miss y-you all...*sniff* I want to go back to Shigure's house…"

_'And here come the water works.' _ "That's all you had to say…I think we'll be able to work this out. And don't worry about Yuki and Kyo, I'll bring them around. So when you go to your grandpa's house today, I want you to pack your things and wait for us, okay?"

I know she didn't have any idea what I was planning, but she nodded anyway. Great. Kid gloves are off. I'm bringing Tohru home.

-0-

The first thing I planned to do was go to Grandpa's house. I vaguely remember where he lived so bringing the directions couldn't hurt too much. 'Now if only I could find them…' I walked into the kitchen where Shigure said he left it, but I didn't see anything that looked like directions.

"Where could they be?"

"Give me the stupid map, you damn rat!" Kyo's voice yelled from outside.

I rushed outside to see Kyo and Yuki arguing over a small piece of paper.

"You have a lousy sense of direction, stupid cat." Yuki retorted, holding the map out of his reach.

Before they started arguing too much I stepped in with my hands on my hips, "Hey! No fighting you two!" They looked at me with mild surprise, "If we're going to go get Tohru, we're going to do it with positive attitudes and _no fighting_!"

-0-

The second part of the trip was not as eventful as I had wanted it to be. As soon as we got out the woods and walked about a mile, the boys started arguing about the directions.

What's worse is that we wasted a good portion of the day looking around what seemed like half the city.

"I'm telling you we're going the wrong way!" Kyo shouted, "Give me the map you damned Rat!"

"Uh-uh." Yuki teased at Kyo's temper.

I ignored their immaturity as I looked at the houses around us. Surely one of these houses had to be labeled 'Honda'.

"Hey, let me see the map." I held my hand out to Yuki.

He was a little hesitant but he gave it to me, "Do you think we're close, Miss Zakura?"

I unfolded the map and looked at the lines that represented the streets and the squares the represented the houses. "I see. The house is over there." I told them putting the directions away and approached the quaint ordinary looking house. I looked at the mail box and it read 'Honda'.

"Should we knock?" I asked Yuki and Kyo when they stood behind me.

"Check to see if it's open." Kyo said turning the knob to open the door. Finding it unlocked we quietly opened the door and walked in.

"…I feel so selfish; I have a place to stay, food in my stomach, and wonderful friends. And yet I- and yet I wanted to stay...I wanted to stay...with Zakura, Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure…I wanted to stay there…" Tohru sniffled.

Thankfully Yuki stepped up to her and said something, "Then come back home..."

Kyo grabbed her by the head, yes, that's right, "Come on, let's go." Leaving no room for protest he dragged her away.

I bowed to Grandpa Honda, "Sorry about this Grandpa Honda, but we're taking Tohru back. I'm nothing without the poor girl."

Good ol' Grandpa only smiled and told me to take good care of her.

"Of course you were nothing before…" Ah, dear Aunty Honda.

I placed a fake smile just for her, "Sorry, we can't all live up to your extremely high expectations, aunty. Then again if we all want to meet expectations higher I guess we should all be as rude and as stuck up as you."

She crossed her arms and retorted with a scoff, "The nerve of teens these days…"

I shrugged me shoulders, "I blame certain parents' upbringing…that and the rap music."

"I get." Tohru's uncle said, coming into the room, "The little tramp must've been shacking up with you three."

*snap* There goes my self control.

"Excuse me? Do you want to repeat that?" I asked with venom.

Yuki marched up to the man with death threat in every step, "Don't you _ever insult_ Miss Honda like that ever again, you low-life."

"That goes double from me!" I exclaimed rearing my leg back and launched my leg right between his legs and full force into his crotch.

It was satisfying to see his double over in pain and to hear the gasps of shock from the others. Sure, Kyo taught me better moves than that, but this was an example to not mess with Tohru.

"So...where are Tohru's things?" I asked clapping my hands together with a cheerful grin.

-0-

"Kyo, did you make her cry?" I watched Tohru furiously try to wipe her eyes.

"No! Come on lets go home" Kyo fumed, but in reality I knew he was happy that Tohru was coming back with us. Yuki had Tohru's three bags in his left hand and took Tohru's hand in his right. Tohru took my left and before Kyo could run away or stuff his hand into his pocket I snatched it and held it...gently...

"By the way…should we be concerned that Miss Honda's uncle didn't get up when we came back downstairs, Miss Zakura?" Yuki asked me even though he wasn't really all that concerned.

"No, I don't think I kicked him that hard."

"What? You kicked him?" Tohru spazzed.

"Only a little." I lied gently.

"Wish I could've seen it." Kyo chuckled.

"I can give a replay to Shigure if you want." I grinned.

"I'm glad to be going back home" Tohru sighed blissfully.

I squeezed her hand, "We are too."

-0-

Shigure stood outside the front door, waiting for us. "Good work, you three! I see Operation: Kidnap the Princess was a success!"

"You make it sound like we did something wrong," Kyo said annoyed while taking off his shoes.

"You could at least call it a rescue," Yuki said as he took his jacket off.

"Um...I'm back…I hope that's not a problem," Tohru said in a small voice.

"Of course not!" Shigure said happily. "Just leave everything to me."

"Like you're going to do anything..." Yuki mumbled.

"Don't worry so much," Shigure said. "Just make sure you don't run away again." Shigure glanced at Yuki and Kyo. "You should've seen these two. They practically killed me to get your address! It's nice to see that their efforts were rewarded. Ahhh... I've never seen Yuki so flustered! As opposed to Kyo, who's always flustered..."

Yuki spun to face Shigure, his cheeks, indeed, flushing red. "I wasn't that...flustered!"

"Liar," Kyo muttered. "Moping around like a sad rat who'd lost his cheese..."

I stifled my laughter.

"You were the one who was moping," Yuki said, swinging to punch Kyo in the chin.

"You damn rat!" Kyo yelled, regaining his footing.

Shigure ran his hand through his hair, a small, amused smile on his face. "It's not much of a home," he said, "but, if you'll take it, it's yours."

We looked at him and smiled. "Yes!"

Yuki and Kyo had now taken fighting stances.

"You're going down, damn rat!" Kyo yelled.

"Oh, it's on now," Yuki replied, glaring at Kyo.

I think we're where we belong. Here. In this house. With our new family.


	5. Worst sleep over!

(c) Natsuki Takaya

Zakura Kojima belongs to me!

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Worst sleep over!<p>

"You know come to think of it…" I trailed off looking at Tohru, "…we haven't told Uo or Hana where we're staying…"

Tohru looked up at me, "Ah…you're right…we didn't tell them."

Shigure looked up from his newspaper when he heard our discussion, "What's that, girls?"

"Uo and Hana wanted to have been worrying about us lately and wanted to spend the night and we were wondering if it was okay." I explained to him.

"They're very good friends of ours…and we don't want them to worry." Leave it to Tohru to soften him up with those sad eyes. Shigure could never say no to them.

Shigure smiled. "So long as you don't mention anything about, you know, the Zodiac and whatnot, I don't particularly mind."

Tohru and I bowed our heads in gratitude, "Thank you so much!"

"Wait…who's coming over?" Kyo asked.

"You know, Uo and Hana from homeroom." He still had a blank look on his face, "The two girls who beat you at Rich Man Poor Man."

"Ah, yes," Yuki said. "Miss Hanajima and Miss Uotani?"

"That's them!" Tohru said.

Kyo sighed. "Not those two..."

-0-

We told Hana and Uo that day at lunch. Uo didn't exactly...take the news well.

"What?" she screeched. "So, not only were you two living in a tent, but now you're living in Prince Yuki's house? Seriously, you guys?" I didn't know her voice could crack…

"Yes," I said. "We're sorry for not saying anything about it sooner. There was a lot of stuff going on, but everything's fine now."

"They're all really nice people," Tohru said as an added measure, "So there's nothing to worry about."

They looked at us in silence for a moment.

"This is definitely a bolt out of the blue," Hana said. "I wonder... How will the Prince Yuki fan club girls react when they hear the news?"

Mad fan girl chibi's invaded our thoughts…not a pretty sight. They'd chase us out ofJapanif they could…

"I thought it was strange how you all have been spending so much time with the Prince and Orange-top," Uo mused, "Now I understand."

Hana crushed the chip bag she'd been eating out of in her hands. The noise scared a few birds in the tree above us, "Perhaps we should have them invite us over."

"Uh..." we said quietly looking at each other.

"I'd like to see for myself whether or not this is a suitable environment for you three to be living."

"Hey, great idea," Uo agreed. "Let's check it out right now."

"Wait," Hana said, "if we show up unexpectedly, they may not serve snacks."

"Ooh, good point. You're two for two. Okay then," Uo said, turning to us. "We'll stay over tomorrow night."

Well…glad that's decided…

"Uh...okay!" we said after a few moments.

-0-

The next day, the Tohru and I hurried home to make sure the house was clean and ready for when Hana and Uo came over.

Shigure even helped, cleaning off the table and singing to himself. "High school girls! High school girls! 1, 2, 3, high school girls! Ahh... I can't help but wonder what kind of girls these friends are," he said.

"A Yankee and a psychic." Kyo's comment froze Shigure in mid-scrub.

Yuki sighed and shook his head.

The doorbell rang, and Tohru jumped up to get it. It was Hana and Uo.

"Hi! You're here!"

"Did you find the house okay?"

"No, we got lost."

"I'm thinking that this was a bad idea," Kyo whipsered, glancing at Yuki.

"Just don't do anything stupid," Yuki replied.

Kyo growled. "That goes double for you, you damn rat."

"Yes..." Shigure said, suddenly serious. "All of us would do well to be careful while they're here. Because I wonder, if either girls were to find out about the curse, what would happen...do you think?" He looked at Yuki and Kyo. "At the very least, I'd think that the girls wouldn't be allowed to stay here anymore."

Yuki and Kyo were sombered by this thought.

"Well, either way...something's bound to turn out!" Shigure said with a smile. "'Que sera sera' and all that." He chuckled.

"You just like hearing yourself talk, don't you?" Yuki asked.

"There's a dog," Hana said.

We all tensed up.

"Over...there?" she said, pointing to the open door wherea brown dog sat on the porch.

Kyo clutched his shirt in his fist as if he had just about had a heart attack. Yuki put his hand to his forehead and sighed. We breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't meant that she'd sensed that Shigure was a dog. She'd just seen an actual dog.

"Yes! That's a dog!" Shigure said nervously.

_'With all of us acting tense it's going to be a matter of time before one of us has an accident and we end up transforming Shigure, Yuki, or Kyo. Better get the introduction out of the way.' _"These are two of our friends, Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima," I introduced.

"Hey," Uo said giving a slight wave.

"A pleasure," Hana said.

"Yes, welcome, welcome!" Shigure said. "Please make yourselves at home."

"Say, it's 'Shigure,' right? This is your place?" Uo asked. "So what do you do to pay the rent around here?"

I had wondered that myself, actually.

"Me?" Shigure asked, chuckling. "I'm a writer. Well, a novelist, actually."

"Did you say a novelist?"

"Really?"

"Why the heck are you two so surprised?" Uo asked.

"This is the first they've heard of it," Hana answered.

"Yeah, we had no idea," Tohru said blushing.

"What was it again," Yuki asked, sounding completely bored, "'fine literature,' or something?"

"Uh-huh," Shigure said. "That's right. This sort of story." He held up a book entitled Summer-Colored Sigh.

We all looked at him, wide-eyed. 'It's Hentai…'

"Hmm?" He looked at the book in his hand. "Oh, sorry." He held out another book. "This is my real work. This one is just something I did for fun." He did that on purpose…

"So it's still okay to write that dime-store smut?" Uo cried.

"You're a sicko, you know that?" Kyo shouted banging on the table.

"What were you thinking?" Yuki asked, ashamed of his cousin.

"Shigure, that's amazing!" We all looked at Tohru in surprise. "I mean, to think we actually know someone as important as a novelist!" It's a good thing she doesn't know about Hentai…

Yuki smiled a little. "Careful, Miss Honda. You don't want to inflate his ego too much."

"Like his head could get any bigger than it already is," Kyo muttered.

Shigure just laughed.

Uo and Hana looked at the two of us, probably wondering how on earth we were able to live in this house.

"Well enough about me," Shigure said. "Why don't you tell us something about yourselves? You could start by telling us how you two met Tohru and Zakura."

"What, serious?" Uo asked.

"I'm sure we'd all like to hear! Right, Yuki? Right, Kyo?"

They both sighed.

"Uo gave me drugs," I said with a cheerful smile.

They all looked at me like I was insane.

"What?"

I chuckled and back tracked my previous statement, "I meant that my mom wanted me to go to the mini mart down the street from where I used to live and buy her some drugs. However she was completely wasted at the time and didn't realize that I was underage to buy them, plus no ID. I met Uo at the mark and her and her gang stole them for me."

Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo's faces looked pale at the end of my story. Guess they couldn't have imagined.

"Well, what about you, Tohru?" Shigure asked.

"'Hey, pinhead! You better not step on those, you-!'"

Now they looked at her like she was insane.

"Wait, let me back up," She said. "This one time in middle school, I dropped all my notes in the hall..."

"What have I done?" Shigure asked quietly.

I laughed a little.

Uo chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that. I guess I could get a little...rough back then."

"Back then?" Yuki and Kyo asked, but she ignored them.

"But that was when you were still a Yankee, right?" I asked.

"Yeah," Uo said. "I started running with them...in the 5th grade, I think?"

"You used to wear those masks all the time," I said.

"And I had my eyebrows thinned and I wore those long skirts."

"You forget, Arisa," Hana said quietly reading Shigure's Hentai book, "that you do all those things now, too."

"I guess you're right." Uo laughed.

"That's lovely. They're so- How shall I say it?" Shigure mused. "By putting it into words, I'm afraid the nobility of it all would only be obscured."

"Of what?" Yuki asked.

"You know, they're so spunky!" Shigure said.

"You sick bastard," Kyo said.

We laughed.

"How sad..." We were astonished to see Hana reading Shigure's "for fun" work, "Love doomed from the start."

"You're reading that?" I asked in disbelief.

"That silly little thing?" Shigure asked, walking over to her. "Oh, I'm flattered! What do you think?"

"You don't want to know what I think," she replied darkly, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"Oh...no?" Shigure asked s little frightened by her dark aura.

"But when is volume 2 coming out?"

Our jaws dropped.

"Look, can we just knock it off with the books? Okay?" Uo asked.

_'Seems like everyone's getting along pretty well…so far so good…'_

"Zakura! I just thought of something fun we could do! Wait here, I'll be right back."

-0-

"So then, Saki, you never did tell us how you and the girls came to be friends," Shigure said, still standing behind her.

"Are you sure you're ready to hear?" Hana asked still giving off her dark aura.

"Oh ah... That's okay, as long as you're friends now!" Shigure whimpered quickly. "That's all that matters!"

"We were in middle school, and I was transferred into their class."

"Ah-h...is that so?"

"Yes," she said. "You see, at my previous school, I had caused...something of a disturbance..."

They looked at her fearfully.

"Well, that's a wonderful story, isn't it? But I just remembered I have some work to do, so if you kids will excuse me..." he hummed, running off down the hall to his room.

"He ran off," Yuki muttered.

"Ran the hell away," Kyo mumbled.

"I gotta say..." They looked at Uo, "I didn't know what to think when they told us, but it looks like they're fitting right in here. I'm happy for them. I guess I can understand why they didn't want to say anything at first. But still... I wish we'd been there to help. The fact that we weren't...after everything Kyoko did for me...helped to pull me out of all the crap I'd gotten myself into... That bothers me. I mean...to even think that they thought they had to go through all this by themselves... Maybe they don't think they can count on us. Or maybe we're just not that good as friends."

_'I had no idea Uo had felt that way…'_

They were all silent for a moment.

"Nah," Kyo said. "Tohru and Zakura just not really the kinda girls who worry about stuff like that."

"They...they're the kind of people who put others' well-being before their own," Yuki said.

Hana and Uo looked at them, a little surprised. They looked at me to confirm their statements and I could only nod.

"Sorry it took so long," Tohru said opening the sliding door "I hope you're ready to play! Rich Man-Poor Man!" She showed everyone the deck of cards.

"Ah, a fine idea," Hana said, smiling.

"Let's pick it up where you guys left off," Uo said, grinning. "I've been itching to make a fool out of Orange-top here."

"Yeah, talk it up!" Kyo said. "But when you lose, you have to dye your hair black!"

"Oh?" Uo asked. "Well, when you lose, you have to bleach all the dye outta your hair and leave it white!"

"It's naturally this color!" he shot back.

"Is that right?" Hana asked.

"That's right!" Kyo said.

Tohru handed the cards to Yuki. "Yuki, would you like to shuffle the deck?"

"Oh, I, uh..." He brushed his bangs out of his face and smiled at her. "Sure."

15 minutes later…

"Why you rotten little-!" Uo yelled. "You and your cheap-ass tricks!"

"Cheap nothin'!" Kyo shot back. "That's fair game! You're the one playin' tricks, Yankee!"

"Next time you pull that crap, I'm gonna light you up!"

"Go ahead and try! It'll be the dumbest thing you ever did! I will take you out!" He stood and started to walk away.

"Oh yeah, some tough guy! You're running away!" Uo taunted jumping up to block is path.

"Who's running?" Kyo retorted. "I'm going to the bathroom!"

"Aww," Uo said, moving in exact mirror to him so he couldn't get past. "Gotta take a leak? Better hurry. We wouldn't want you to piss yourself."

"Dammit! You got a foul mouth!" Kyo shouted.

"I hate to say it but Kyo and Uo arguing is worse than Kyo and Yuki arguing. It's louder." I observed placing down an ace on top of the pile.

Then Kyo tried something he shouldn't have -he made a move and ran right into Uo.

Tohru,Yuki's, and my eyes widened when we saw the familiar puff of orange smoke.

_'Oh, no!_'

Uo looked around, confused.

"Everything alright, Miss Uotani?" Yuki asked nervously.

"Uh...yes...?" she replied hesitantly.

"Well, that's good," Yuki said, smiling. "It's just that things sounded like they were really heating up there for a minute."

I spotted Kyo wriggle out from under his clothes and run out the doors. He dove under the porch before either Uo or Hana saw.

"I know," I said. "Until Kyo gets back from the bathroom, let's play a quick game of Crazy Eights!" (personally been a long time since I played that game)

"Sure, let's play," Uo said, going to take her seat again. But she stepped on Kyo's sweatshirt, and started falling.

"Ah! Uo!" I jumped up to try to help her, but slipped myself.

Yuki jumped up then. "Miss Kojima, look out!"

Unfortunately, I landed right on him, producing that cloud of pink smoke. I got to my hands and knees, and Yuki scrambled out to hide under the porch as well.

"Zakura!" Everyone rushed over.

"Are you alright?" Uo asked.

"Are you hurt?" Hana asked.

"Nope! I'm fine! Just slipped! You know how clumsy I am! Oops!" I laughed nervously.

They looked at me like I was crazy.

-0-

"Ol' Orange-top sure is taking his time," Uo said once we all settled down again.

Tohru tensed up when she made the observation.

"And the prince just up and disappeared. Guess he-"

"You're right," Hana cut in. "I wonder where our kind hosts have run off to."

I chuckled uneasily as I threw down a pair of fours.

"For the love of... We can't even start this game of Crazy Eights, you know?" Uo sighed.

I looked behind her to see that an orange cat paw was reaching for Kyo's sweatshirt.

Hana straightened up. "A cat..."

We sucked in a breath and held it, waiting to see what she would say.

"Oh!" Shigure said, blocking Kyo's paw from their view as he came in. "You're playing Crazy Eights, right? That sounds like fun! Think you have room for one more?" He took Yuki's seat, and ignored the questioning looks he was getting from Hana and Uo.

"Well if it isn't the master novelist," Uo said. "You any good at this game?"

Shigure chuckled. "Well, you should know, in the old days, they used to call me 'The Eights Bandit'."

"Really?" I asked dryly.

"But enough about me! Let's get to playing, shall we? So what are the rules?"

We gasped when we saw a puff of orange smoke, and the cat paw change into a hand.

"What was that?" Uo asked.

"Uh, what was what?" Sachiko asked, smiling.

"I heard a...boom."

"There was a definite...boom,"

_'Not good! Not good!_ _I think Kyo just changed back to normal! Hana and Uo can't see him! He's naked! I'll just throw him Yuki's clothes for now! It's better than nothing, right?_

Shigure must've been thinking the same thing because we both grabbed onto Yuki's shirt. When he went to throw he took me with it. Seeing that gravity is my worst enemy, of course I landed right on Shigure. There was a puff of blue smoke, and then... I was sitting there holding a black dog.

Hana and Uo stared at me like I had just sprouted a second head.

I had to think fast. I hugged the dog, and he barked. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back! I thought we'd lost you, um...Spot!"

Shigure looked at me like, "Spot?" He barked again, wagging his tail.

"That's odd," Hana said, looking at an empty bowl on the table. "It appears we've run out of snacks. I'll get some more. Where's the kitchen?" She stood up to walk towards the kitchen just then; Kyo was coming back inside after getting his clothes back.

Just our luck, she ran right into him.

_'This is getting worse before it gets better!'_

Shigure started barking and running around the room standing on his hind legs doing anything he could to distract Hana and Uo from the fact that Kyo had disappeared. Again.

Then there was a puff of pink smoke.

_Oh no! Now Yuki, too?_

Shigure scooped up Yuki's clothes in his mouth and tossed them outside.

"Huh, that's weird," Uo said. "I could've sworn I saw Orange-top in here." Shigure jumped up on Uo's shoulder, barking. "Ah!"

"Miss Kojima" Yuki said, walking through the door fixing his shirt, "I think Spot is telling us he's hungry, don't you?"

"Oh, yes!" I said, sounding relieved that Yuki was back to normal and fully dressed, "Come here, boy. Let's go get some food."

"Zakura..."

"Yes?" I asked, turning back to Hana.

Hana smiled. "Some more snacks? If you don't mind."

"I'll get them," I said, guiding Shigure into the kitchen.

We closed the door and sighed heavily. At least one of them was back to human form. I hope Tohru can handle the rest of the mess in there.

"I'm really sorry," I apologized to Shigure as he inhaled the food from a dish on the floor, "We promise, the last thing we wanted to happen was all of this."

"Hey, nuffin' to abologishe for," Shigure said, his mouth full.

"I'm not so sure," I said, leaning against the counter.

Shigure swallowed and looked at me. "Zakura, if these people are important to you two, then they're important to us, too. Do you understand?"

We looked at him for a moment, then smiled.

"Thank you."

Tohru walked in closing the door behind her. "Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yep," I said.

"Phew," she exhaled. "I don't know how much more of this my heart can take."

"No kidding."

-0-

"Come on..." Uo muttered.

"This game isn't going very well, now is it?"

"I...I'll go check on them," Yuki offered after a moment of silence.

Of course, right when Yuki opened the door was when Tohru came back out with a tray of jelly buns.

They hit each other and the jelly buns went flying along with Yuki!

"Miss Honda!" he cried.

"Oh, no, Yuki!"

"H-help!"

"But...you're mixed in with all the jelly buns!"

"I'm here, Miss Honda!" He cried waving his tiny arms.

"Where?"

"Here!" He flailed madly, trying to distinguish himself from the jelly buns.

"Let's see...jelly bun, jelly bun, jelly bun... Ah, there you are!" She reached out.

"No, wait, Miss Honda, that's-"

She caught a jelly bun.

"-a jelly bun!"

"Hey, Tohru, nice catch!" Uo said, chuckling.

"Yes, but most of them still fell," Hana said.

"Maybe I'm lucky she didn't catch me," Yuki said to himself, hiding under the pile of jelly buns. "She squeezed that bun so hard, all the filling came out!"

Discreetly I grabbed Yuki and snuck him into the kitchen where Kyo and Shigure miraculously snuck away too as well.

"Can you guys find some clothes on your own?" I whispered to them, "We'll keep them in the living room for as long as we can while you guys go look for clothes."

They nodded in understanding.

-0- 10 minutes later -0-

Uo was just going out to the porch when Kyo ran by.

"Arisa. Watch out!"

"Huh?" Uo asked whirled around looking confused.

Shigure ran in scooped Kyo up in his mouth, and carried the three of them out to the bushes.

"Yeah? Watch out for what?" Uo asked.

"An orange cat...with clothes tied around its neck. In the mouth of a dog...that went...that way..." Hana pointed out to the bushes across the lawn just beyond the koi pond.

We all looked out to the bushes.

The guys were human again alright but still very undressed much to our embarrassment.

"1, 2! 1, 2! 1, 2!" Shigure counted over and over, using a pair of jeans like a towel on his back. "Nothing like a rub-down with a dry towel to get the circulation going!" And Shigure started his counting again.

"Idiot," Yuki muttered sticking his head out of the bushes.

I slapped my hands over my eyes and hung my head, sighing. _'I've got a headache.'_

-0-

Thankfully nothing else happened that evening. Everyone had eventually calmed down and we'd managed to get through a few card games before eating dinner without anyone else transforming. Then the six of us went upstairs to our room to talk before bed.

"This is a fine bed," Hana commented sitting on Tohru's bed near the window. Mine was a few feet away from hers, enough to put a night table between the two beds.

"Shigure bought us each one when we moved in," Tohru explained sitting on the bed next to Hana.

"He must think big of you three," Uo commented, "but these rooms could use a little more, you know, girl stuff. Like maybe a dressing table or something like that."

"Oh, we couldn't!" I said. "We'd just be _asking_ for it."

They looked at us confused.

"They've done so much for us already. We're already so lucky. It'd be rude to ask for more."

"We're just happy to have a place to stay. And that's all."

Uo hummed a bit to herself before sitting at the foot of my bed, "I guess they do understand them," Uo mused. "Pretty well, I'd say."

"Huh?"

"I agree," Hana said to Uo.

"What's going on here?"

They smiled at us.

"Don't worry about it." Uo said climbing into bed with me.

We looked at them, but didn't ask. Because we knew Hana and Uo had our best intentions at heart.

"Good-night you two." Hana and Uo whispered when I turned off the side table light.

"Good-night." Tohru and I whispered in unison.

-0-

Tohru and I woke up the next morning to make breakfast while Uo and Hana were still sleep. Kyo walked in and opened the fridge, drinking milk straight from the carton like he always did. Tohru was too nice to tell Kyo to stop doing that and Kyo just ignored Yuki and I when we tell him not to do it so we just bought a carton just for him. When I commented that the kitty gets his own milk carton he yelled at me and gave me the silent treatment for four days.

Kyo saw Yuki in the doorway in a sort of daze.

Kyo looked surprised. "Uh... Hey, Yuki, are you-?"

Kyo was cut off by Yuki's head slumping forward onto his shoulder.

"Ahhhh!" Kyo yelled as if Yuki's very touch burned him.

Yuki groaned sleepily.

"I see you're having a hard time waking up, as usual," Tohru smiled at the sleeping boy.

"Yeah, yeah, just keep movin', will ya!" Kyo exclaimed completely uncomfortable.

Yuki moved off Kyo's shoulder and shuffled his way across the kitchen. He was so out of it I bet he's not aware of his surroundings.

"Wow, Kyo," I praised. "With as much as you want to beat Yuki, you still don't try to sneak up on him while he's like this. That's very admirable."

"No, that's not it. It's not like that," he said slumping his shoulders in misery. "He's stronger when he's half-asleep."

"Ah, so you have tried to attack him, then?" I laughed.

"Yeah, I tried!" he shouted crushing the milk carton in his hand, spilling the remaining milk on the floor. "And I got beat even worse than when he's awake, okay? Do you know what that means? It means that stupid, dirty, little sissy-boy rat is always holding back on me!"

Yuki appeared out of the hallway and punched Kyo right across the face.

"What gives? ! I thought you were still out of it!" Kyo shouted right after he recovered.

"Your stupid voice woke me up," Yuki said, annoyed.

"Fine! I don't care anymore, dammit! Asleep or not, it's you and me, right now!"

"There they go again," I sighed while I moved along with finishing breakfast.

"I'm gonna mop up this kitchen with your face!"

"How can you even talk about this nonsense so early in the morning?"

"A cat and a mouse..."

We all froze at Hana's comment.

"That's what those two are like. They fight like a cat and a mouse," Hana said from the kitchen door with Uo.

"Yeah, like the old cartoon. Something other and Jerry," Uo agreed.

"You mean Tom and Jerry?" I asked.

Recognition dawned on her face, "Yeah, I think that's it. So the two of you don't get along too well, do ya?"

"I suppose not," Yuki replied with a tired smile.

"Even so, this seems like a pleasant enough house," Hana said. "This is good…because if it had been a poor environment for our friends to be living in…I would have had to do many things to correct it..." Her dark aura surrounded her to back up her statement, "Yes, many things…"

Yuki and Kyo looked very afraid, "What kind of 'many things'?"

"But I can see that the two of you both have fine electric signals," she said.

They looked at her a little surprised to hear a compliment from her.

"Oh, you didn't know? That's even better, I think."

"Well," Uo trailed as she and Hana hugged the two of us together, "I'm sure you'll do your best to be nice."

"To Tohru and Zakura, we mean."

Kyo and Yuki just looked confused.

"We'll come by for another visit soon," Uo said.

"Yes, let's," Hana said. "I'm curious to learn more about the Sohma family's unique signals."

"Okay! Now how 'bout some breakfast?" Uo asked.

"Yes, breakfast."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kyo shouted. "You gotta be kidding! Damn girls are taking over!"

"They mean well," I amended. "They're both very good people. So...please?"

He looked at me for a moment, sighed, then ran his hand through his hair. "Fine. Whatever."

"After all, they are your friends, right?" Yuki asked.

We smiled. "Right!"


	6. Culture festival is a cultural shock!

(c) Natsuki Takaya

Zakura Kojima belongs to me!

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Culture festival is a cultural shock!<p>

A few days later after Hana and Uo's visit, it was time for a big celebration at school known as the Cultural Festival. There was only a little time left to get ready so things were pretty hectic at school. Everyone was helping to get ready for the day of fun.

Of course, that went for our class too: 1st Year, D-Block. Our assignment: Refreshments and food.

"I'm pleased to announce that the health inspections have been completed and we've been given permission to open our rice ball stand. All that's left to decide is what flavor of rice balls we'd like to sell. Any suggestions you may have on the matter would be more than welcome." Yuki announced from his place at the front of the class,

'Rice balls?' I thought, 'Kinda of interesting.'

Tohru raised her hand and stood. "What if we tried making three-flavor rice balls? We can use three different ingredients and it'll be like getting three rice balls in one! It could be fun!"

Yuki smiled. "How nice. A fine idea."

Tohru smiled back.

"Eww!" one of the fan club girls, Minami, cried. "I think you mean, 'How disgusting!' No way!"

"Like if you had salmon, and miso, and pickled plums all mixed together?" another fangirl (her name slipped my mind) said.

Minami made a disgusted sound. "That'd be the sickest thing in the world."

Uo moved to the fangirl's desk and produced a lead pipe, and smashed it down on Minami's desk, between the girls. "It couldn't be any more sickening then your crappy attitudes...could it?" she asked, leaning down between them.

"Don't they have rules against bringing lead pipes to school?" Minami asked nervously.

"What about buy one get two free?" I threw in.

"I say we make it a rice ball battle," Kyo declared.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"A battle?" a boy asked.

"One-on-one," Kyo continued, clenching his fist and grinning. "One round. No holds barred. And even if they get bloody noses, or pull each other's arms off, they have to fight for the prize- rice balls!"

Even I was looking at him wide-eyed.

"No way," everyone laughed.

"Hmm..." Yuki mused, ignoring Kyo like he always did. "What about...a 'Hit-or-Miss'?"

"Interesting," a girl at the front of the class.

"We'll have a special offer," Yuki explained, "Anyone who buys three rice balls can choose a fourth for free. Only we'll have some 'misses' mixed in that we can make with some strange ingredient or something."

The class wholeheartedly agreed that it was a good idea.

Kyo looked around at the agreeing students from his place, standing half on his desk. "Oh, sure!" he yelled, pointing at Yuki. "So you're all just gonna follow whatever dumb idea he says?"

"You can't call us followers for knowing a good idea when we hear it."

"Yeah, your idea was too weird!"

"How so?" Kyo asked angrily.

"Who wants to get all bloody over a couple rice balls?"

Kyo sat back down in his seat with a thud.

"Aw, don't get mad, Kyo-Kyo," a boy said, ruffling his hair.

Kyo slapped his hands away. "Hey! Don't call me Kyo-Kyo!"

"What's wrong with that?"

_'I'll admit that it is a cute name. Plus it's nice that Kyo is making guy friends at school.'_

I happened to glance at Yuki and I had a feeling I knew what he was thinking…from what Tohru had told me Yuki envies Kyo because he was able to make friends better than him because of who he is and not for what he is…

"I have a student council meeting to attend, so if you wouldn't mind handling the arrangements for building the stand?" Yuki asked the girl.

"Sure!" she said happily. "Just leave it to me!"

Yuki turned to walk away.

"Ah, hold on!" a boy called raising his hand, "There was still something I needed to ask you."

"Yeah, right," another boy said, "me too, Yuki. I have a question about the stand."

"Yuki, I have a question!"

Sitting next to Kyo I could feel his anger as everyone turned to Yuki for advice and help. "Uh, Kyo?"

Suddenly Kyo magically had at least five cats hanging from his shoulders and head.

"Ah, look!" a girl squealed.

The cats mewed happily blissfully unaware of Kyo's burning rage.

"Whoa, how did they get in here?"

"And so many!" a girl said. "How cute!"

"Kyo?" I asked..

He yelled and jumped up out of his seat, the cats still hanging from him. "Damn it all!" he kicked the classroom door out of his way and ran down the hall.

Yuki glared after him then sighed.

I heard one girl comment that he was the complete opposite of Yuki, and it was hard to believe they were related.

"Zakura?" Tohru whimpered worriedly.

I stroke her head, "Don't worry. I'll go talk to him. You fill me in on what I missed, okay?"

Tohru nodded, "Get him to come back if you can…it'll be a lot of fun if Kyo could be part of this too."

-0-

There he was laying on the roof staring angrily at the sky with all the cats laying all around him and on him. I guess since he can't make the leave he waits for them to leave on their own.

"Found you!" I giggled poking my head above the ladder.

He cried out in surprise.

"I had a feeling you'd be up here. Always look in the highest place." I mused climbing the rest of the ladder. "Good thing I'm not too scared of heights." I said sitting on my legs near him.

"What is it with you! You always gotta sneak up on me like that?" he asked angrily, sitting cross legged.

"Sorry." I laughed picking up the cat nearest me and smiled a little at him. "Hello, Mister Cat! You're so cute!" I cooed rubbing my nose against its pink one.

He mewed and rubbed his head against my cheek.

I laughed a little. "These cats really like you, huh?"

He sighed and looked away. "Yeah, yeah. Don't ask me why. They just show up on their own. Same with rats for Yuki and dogs for Shigure."

"Wow, that's cool."

"How the hell is it cool? This one time, I was walking in the mountains with Kagura and we got surrounded by a whole pack of boars! I thought they were gonna eat us!"

"Pft."

"It is not funny!"

"I'm sorry," I said, calming my laughter.

Kyo sighed and looked away again. "Well? What did you want?"

"Nothing, really," I said, shaking my head and holding the cat closer. "I was just worried about you... That's all. You seemed really upset when you left."

He looked back at me.

"Don't you want to help out the festival preparations?" I asked.

He looked away again then grunted. "What do they need me for? They've got Yuki, don't they?" he asked dryly. "I doubt anyone's gonna miss me."

I looked down at the ground as I let the cat go. He ran back over to Kyo. _'That's not true…'_

"They're all too busy looking to him. That's the way it always is…ever since we were kids. He's always been the smart one and he knows how to get stuff done and he's good with people…" He was completely faced away from me now. "And everybody around him always tells him how talented he is and stuff. He doesn't even have to try and they all look up to him. Anyway..." His tone was solemn. "It's just like with martial arts. I've been training way longer than he has, but he's still better than me. It makes me sick!" His voice was low, disgusted. "I mean, what do I gotta do to be someone like that, you know?" He was...frustrated. "Why can't I be more like...like him?"

_'Kyo…he doesn't have much people skills, but after he gets to know them a little, he can open up and be himself. He doesn't need to be like Yuki or like anyone else to be accepted. He's fine just the way he is…Yuki wants to be like Kyo and Kyo wishes he could be more like Yuki. So why is it, that even though they both secretly admire each other, it just pushes them farther apart?'_

"I guess it's not really any of my business, but I like you the way you are. You can only be you and Yuki can only be Yuki…you don't need to be smart or give great advice to be accepted."

Kyo only grunted. I assumed he didn't believe me or didn't want to.

"I sometimes feel that way when I'm with Tohru." I confessed. "A lot of times I feel jealous of Tohru."

This time Kyo turned around a bit and I could see the look of shock on his face.

"Hard to believe, huh?" I chuckled uneasily rubbing the back of my head, "It's true because Tohru's better with people than I am. She doesn't realize it sometimes but she does change people for the better with her caring smiles and advice. I sometimes envy how sweet and innocent she is. She can clean and cook better than I can…I can only make clothes. I can't make anyone feel better or give good advice. The only thing I can do is be myself and be happy being me…"

-0-

_Why is it that we feel they have to be like somebody else? Why do we have to feel jealous? If they can see the admirable qualities in someone else, why can't they see the admirable qualities in themselves? I know that I have trouble believing that I have them myself, but I strongly believe in being happy with who you are._

The next day Tohru and I spent the rest of the morning making different rice balls for the festival that was tomorrow.

"What the hell is this?" Kyo shouted as he came into the kitchen that morning. "You tryin' to turn this place into a rice ball shop?"

"Good morning to you, too," I greeted, molding another rice ball in my hands. "You're up early, aren't you?"

"No, this is when I always get up," he said reaching passed my shoulder to grab one of the rice balls I recently made.

"Kyo! That's a-" Tohru's voice died when he bit into it.

"-a leek rice ball." She finished lamely.

He gagged and ran to the sink to spitting it out. "Why would you even make this crap?"

"We're doing a 'Hit or Miss' stand, remember? So that's one's a miss." Tohru smiled.

"We can make something else for you if you have any ideas," I said grabbing him a glass with water in it.

Kyo took the glass from me and drank the entire glass in a few gulps before responding, "I dunno salmon or cod's okay, I guess. Ah, forget it. I'll just make some myself." He opened up the rice cooker. "Geez..." He scooped out some rice and started molding it in his hands.

"Wow, Kyo," I gazed at the perfectly made rice ball. "You did that so quickly!"

He blinked at me.

"You're really good at making rice balls." Tohru added staring at Kyo with admiration.

He blinked at us again.

"Amazing! We had no idea." We gushed at him.

His face turned slightly red as he looked away. "Well, when I was out training, I had to make all my own meals and stuff," he said almost bragging "I just make the plain kind, nothin' fancy."

"Even so I'll bet it we found someone who had devoted their whole life to the art of rice-ball-making and asked them, they'd still say they admired how well you do it." Tohru told him.

"Where the hell you gonna find somebody like that?" He turned and started walking out of the kitchen. "I mean, c'mon! That's gotta be the dumbest thing I ever heard. 'Art of rice-ball-making'," he chuckled.

_'Doesn't change the fact that it's admirable.'_

I walked over to the kitchen door. He was sitting at the table, his back to me and his legs crossed as he watched the news.

"Maybe the reason you don't see it is that it's stuck to your back," Tohru thought aloud.

"Hmm?" Kyo turned and looked at us, chewing his rice ball.

"What she means is a person's admirable qualities. They're just like pickled plum on a rice ball. In other words, the person's the rice ball, and the plum's stuck to their back."

Kyo still looked confused.

Tohru continued, "So, all over the world, you could have rice balls made with all sorts of wonderful ingredients, all different flavors and shapes and colors. But since they'd be stuck in the middle of everyone's back, someone could have a plum and not even know it!

"They'd look at themselves and think, 'I'm so plain. Nothing but white rice.' Even though it isn't true. Because turn them around, and sure enough, there is it! There's the plum!"

I smiled at Kyo and knelt down near him. "So if someone is jealous of somebody else...it's probably because it's easier to see the plum on someone else's back than it is on your own." I looked at his back and smiled. "Yep, I can see it," I said. "You don't know it, but you have a great, big plum on your back. Yuki's admirable in his way, and you're admirable in yours."

His face got flustered as he quickly turned around, "Okay! Now _that's _definitely the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

Our smile fell.

"And what's so great about a stinkin' plum, anyway?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Tohru apologized, "We can change it to salmon if you want..."

He grunted.

I heard a shrill whistling from the kitchen.

"Oh, excuse me," Tohru said. "I guess I left the kettle on the stove." She stood and turned to walk away.

I looked at Kyo's back and poked it. "Hm…It's still a big tasty plum…"

He barely flinched and for a moment I thought he was going to completely ignore me until he muttered, "Hey…You've got one, too. I mean...stuck to your back... There's a plum…"

I blushed a little.

"I-I can see it." He stuttered.

It never ceased to amaze me how much Kyo could surprise me. "Y-you can see it?"

"Yeah, but it's really small, like a baby plum," he said, trying to cover up the fact that he complimented me.

I smiled at him. "Baby plums are good!"

"No, it's way, way, tiny!"

"Still good!"

_You know, I suppose right now there could be people who are feeling jealous, but who don't realize the qualities they envy in other people are the very same ones they already have. When you think about it that way, it sort of makes you want to try harder -just a little bit harder- at being yourself._

-0-

The day of the festival had finally arrived and we were all making last minute preparations to the stands and costumes in honor of the third year students.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Kyo asked the guys who were helping him put up the rice ball stand, "It's still crooked."

"No one's gonna notice something so small, Cat-Lover," a guy hanging the sign on the stand said.

"Yeah, you're just being picky."

"That's right, Cat-Lover. It's only going last one day."

Kyo grunted and jumped up waving his hammer at them. "What's the deal with all this 'Cat-Lover' crap? You trying to make fun of me or something?"

"Ah, we got you figured out. You talk tough, but, deep down, you're just a gentle guy who loves animals," a guy said mockingly.

"Awww..." they cooed together.

"Hey! Knock it off, will ya!"

_'I guess it's a good thing they don't really have him figured out,'_ I thought.

"Why is it every time he's around, I get a headache?" Uo wondered aloud.

"Well, at least this time he's trying to help, which, for him, is pretty rare," Yuki said writing something down on his clipboard.

"I don't know," Tohru said smiling at Yuki, "You have your way, Yuki...and Kyo has his, that's all."

Yuki looked back to his clipboard, no saying anything.

"Oh, Yu-ki!" two girls sang as they came in.

He looked up nervously at them.

They giggled.

"Hello."

"Guess what?" the first girl said excitedly. "We have a surprise for you, Yuki. It's a present."

"All of us senior girls chipped in and bought it," the second girl added. "We thought it would be the greatest thing if you could wear it today!"

"Uh...wear?" he asked.

"Ta-da! A one-of-a-kind festival day costume, just for you, Yuki!" They flashed him a peach dress with a white coat with a flower in the pocket.

Least to say the two girls were the only ones smiling when they showed the dress; everyone else was uncomfortable on Yuki's behalf.

_'Poor Yuki…'_

-0-

The festival started and our rice balls were selling like crazy!

"We're on track for first in the food category!" the girl from the planning meeting cried happily.

"I think we have the delicious stuff Tohru and Zakura made to thank for that!" a guy said.

We all blushed.

"Oh, don't be silly," I said waving off the compliment.

"I just love these cat-shaped ones," a girl said, holding one up.

"Thanks," Tohru said. "But I don't think they're really what's attracting everyone to our booth, you know?"

We all looked over at Yuki, surrounded by students with cameras. Yes, he had agreed to wear the dress.

"That's it! Stop! No more pictures!" Minami and her clones yelled. "Yuki doesn't like it! Yeah, that goes for you too, sister!"

"Good point," a guy agreed, He's definitely an attraction."

"Mm-hmm," everyone said, nodding.

"I suppose we couldn't ask for better advertising, huh?"

They nodded again.

Yuki looked over at us. When he made eye contact with Tohru he looked away. That brief look was more than enough to tell us that he was not happy.

"Oh...I hope I haven't done anything to make Yuki mad at me..." Tohru frowned sadly, "He looks upset."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Kyo said. He was sitting in the corner with a book in one hand, and a cat-shaped rice ball in the other. "My guess is, it's more embarrassment than he can stand, having to dress up like that. I mean, he's already got a big enough complex over that girly face of his," he laughed.

I walked over to Kyo as he was about to bite into the cat-shaped rice ball. "Kyo?"

He froze and looked up at me.

"If you eat that rice ball does that make you cannibal?" I asked curiously.

He looked at the rice ball with a raised eyebrow, then looked back at me. He sighed and handed the rice ball to me, "Finish this for me, will ya?"

"Yukiii!"

We all looked up to see a little blonde-haired kid run over to Yuki and jump up on his shoulders. Yuki bent under the boy's weight, but then straightened up again.

"Yuki, you look like a girl!"

The little boy wore a red hat on his head, a pink shirt with a white collar, green shorts, and red shoes, and had small, round red earrings in his ears.

"What the hell?" Kyo muttered. "What is that little brat doin' here?"

"You know him?" I asked.

"Momiji."

We looked up to see another new face and this time it was an older man around Shigure's age. He was wearing a suit, the suit jacket folded over his arm. He had short black hair, his bangs completely hiding his left eye. "You're not to go running off by yourself."

The boy on Yuki's shoulders looked apologetic, but was silent.

The man looked at Yuki and Kyo. "Yuki. Kyo. I see you're both looking well."

"Hatori!" Yuki gasped in surprise.

Their entrances did not go unnoticed by the other students.

"Who is that?"

"He's so cool!"

"Hi, there!" the boy greeted, taking off his hat. "I'm Momiji Sohma, and this guy here with me is Hatori Sohma. And, yeah, we're two of Yuki and Kyo's relatives!"

"How cool!" a girl cried.

"Is that right?" Tohru asked Kyo.

"Yeah, that's right," Kyo muttered. "But never mind Momiji, what's that bastard Hatori doing here?"

_'So, if they're related, I wonder if they're part of the Zodiac, too…'_

Hatori pull out a stethoscope and press it to Yuki's chest. "Alright...now take a deep breath."

"Hatori's a doctor," Kyo said, answering our silent questions.

"So why is he here?" Tohru asked, sounding slightly worried.

"Couldn't we have found a better time for this?" Yuki muttered to Hatori.

"We did," he said. "We had an appointment. You should know you can't skip your monthly check-up."

"Check-up? Yuki, why would you need a check-up? Is something wrong?" Tohru asked walking over to them.

Yuki looked at her, "Sort of..."

"Yuki's bronchial tubes are fairly sensitive," Hatori said. "He used to suffer from frequent asthma attacks when he was a child. It's a condition he's gradually growing out of." He stood up, "But we like to be sure."

He looked at Tohru. "I'm assuming you're Tohru Honda?" Then he looked at me, "Zakura Kojima?"

"Yes,"

"Nice to meet you," Tohru smiled.

"Indeed..." Hatori stated blandly, "I didn't expect you two be such ordinary girls."

We stared at him in surprise. "What?"

"Hatori!" Yuki said in shock.

"Don't!" a girl suddenly shouted. "You can't climb on the stand!"

It was Momiji. He was sitting on the stand swinging his legs eating a rice ball.

"Hey, you gotta pay for those!" I scolded him.

"What do you think you're doing, you little runt?" Kyo shouted, pulling Momiji off the stands and dragged him to the changing curtain in the corner of the room. When he sat Momiji down he hit him on the head. "Now you stay here! And sit still!"

"Waahhh!" Momiji wailed. "Somebody! Kyo hit me!"

I pulled back the curtain, "Is everything okay?"

Momiji suddenly stopped crying. He smiled widely at us. "Ah-h! You're Zakura! Right? Did I get it right?"

"Yep."

"Now me! Guess who I am!" He chimed pointing to himself.

"You're Momiji."

"Yay! You remembered my name! I'm so happy! Let's be friends, okay?"

"Sure!"

"Hey, you and Tohru already know about the whole Zodiac thing, right? Right?" he asked.

"Uh...right."

"That's great! I can hug you!" He leapt for me with the intention of hugging me but Kyo stopped him before he could wrap his arms around my waist.

"Hold it right there, lover boy!"

"But Zakura doesn't mind if I transform in front of her, do you Zakura?" Momiji whined.

"Do you even know where you are?" Kyo asked angrily.

_'So I guess he is a member of the Zodiac after all…'_

"Kyo! You're just trying to keep Zakura all to yourself because she's so cute! You probably hug her everyday!" Momiji accused him.

Kyo stared at Momiji incredulously. His face turned bright red and, in his state of angered embarrassment, released Momiji. "What? Hell no! Who would wanna do that?"

"Meee!" He sang when Kyo released him and hugged my waist tightly. I ended up falling on my butt when he had pushed his weight on me and when he transformed into a yellow rabbit he crawled onto my lap.

Some girl back in the classroom asked if anyone else had heard an explosion. Some students pulled back the curtains to see a yellow rabbit on me. His black-tipped ears twitched and he looked at the students with his beady red eyes.

"Hey, what's with the rabbit?"

"Where'd Momiji go?"

Kyo looked just as terrified as the rest of us.

Minami picked up Momiji's shirt. "Hold on, aren't these Momiji's clothes? They are!"

"No way! That's weird! He's not running around here naked, is he?"

"And what's with the rabbit? Where did it come from?"

"No kidding! This is weird!"

"Could it be any weirder than me?" Everyone turned away from us and the rabbit to look at Yuki who pulled a cute innocent face, "It's freakish, a boy in a dress..."

Everyone, even the guys, rushed over to him to comfort the sadden Yuki.

"Don't even say that! You're the greatest!"

"Yeah! If you were a real girl, I'd be all over you! I mean...you know..."

We took that opportunity to escape

-0-.

"You little brat!" Kyo yelled at Momiji as soon as we were out in the open air. "Do you know what you almost did?"

"You are going to be grounded for one week," Hatori stated dispassionately.

"What'd I do?" Momiji whines, "Zakura, Tohru, they're scaring me."

"Leave her alone!" Kyo shouted. "It's your own damn fault!"

"I'm very disappointed in you," Hatori said. "We're only lucky Yuki was able to distract everyone."

"Yeah," Kyo chuckled. "He just had to bat those pretty eyelashes a couple times-"

He was cut off by a swift punch in the face from Yuki.

"Next time, I'll send you flying off the roof," Yuki threatened standing over Kyo.

"Damn rat," Kyo muttered nursing his bloody nose.

"Momiji, you really have to be more careful," Yuki told Momiji who was now resting on top of Tohru's head.

"Indeed," Hatori agreed from his place behind Yuki. "You'd do well to heed that advice. Now I think it's time we went home."

"Aw, come on!" Momiji whined. "I wanted to talk to Tohru and Zakura some more."

"Yes, it would be a shame if you couldn't stay a bit longer,"

"Take a moment, then. I'll give you that long to say your goodbyes."

"Hari, you're so dull," Momiji moaned.

"You heard him!" Kyo shouted. "Now go home!"

"Oh, yes," Hatori said. "I almost forgot something very important." He turned to Kyo and Yuki. "Yuki, Kyo, stand over there, please," he said, pointing to the chain fence that ran along the edge of the roof. Wordlessly they followed his orders.

"I want you both to give me a simple answer to this question. What is the last letter of the alphabet?"

"Z?" They answered confused.

While they said this, Hatori pulled out a camera and snapped a picture.

_'Oh, when they said "Z" it looked like they were smiling.'_

"Akito wanted me to take a picture of you while I was here," Hatori explained. "That should be a very nice shot." He picked up Momiji and headed back down the stairs. "So long."

"Bye-bye!" Momiji called waving his little paw at us.

"Hatori!" Kyo growled, "Come back here!" He ran off after him.

I sighed exhausted, "I'll go make sure he doesn't doesn't cause a scene."

-0-

The one thing I will never underestimate about the Sohma's is how fast they can vanish. I thought I lost them for sure when I wandered into the hallway and didn't see anyone. Thankfully Kyo's voice is loud enough for anyone to hear even when far away.

He was standing in the middle of the hallway with his orange cat ears atop of his head, hissing angrily as he looked left and right when he came to a slit in the hall way.

"You lost him?" I asked him when I approached him.

"Don't even start!" Kyo snapped, angry that he lost Hatori, "I know that bastard is around here somewhere."

"What's the big deal? It's just a picture, right?"

"It's not just that! It's what Akito would do when he sees it." He growled giving up on trying to figure out where Hatori went.

"What would Akito do? He can't do anything bad just because you and Yuki are having fun at school."

Kyo pushed his hands in his pocket, "You don't know Akito like some of us do…"

_'That's true. I'm not sure if Akito is someone who should be feared or treated with respect. He was nice enough to allow Tohru and I to keep our memories, but when Kyo and Yuki talk about him their words contain fear and venom. Just who is this Akito?'_

-0-

"Did you get the camera back?" Yuki asked when he and Tohru came down from the roof.

"Don't even start!" Kyo snapped obviously not in the mood, "It wasn't any use."

Yuki turned to the Tohru and me, "Listen, ladies?"

"Yes?"

"It's about Hatori. If you ever see him again, I think it's best if none of you are alone with him."

"Huh?" I asked. "Why?"

"It's just... It's not that Hatori himself is a bad person or anything. I told Miss Honda how when I was a child I transformed in front of children and their memories had to be erased. The person responsible for that...was Hatori."

"Oh…"

"That's the reason why I'm concerned."

Kyo didn't say anything, but he looked a little concerned too.

"I thought I should warn you two about it now."

Tohru was about to ask why when a message came over the intercom for Tohru and I to go to the teacher's lounge.

"We'll be right back," Tohru said as we left.

-0-

We opened the door to the conference room.

"Hello?" I asked.

"I apologize for having to page you three like that." Tohru and I tensed up when we heard the apathetic voice. Hatori! "But with Kyo and Yuki around, it didn't seem I would have a chance to speak properly."

_'Yuki just finished warning us, and here we are, alone!'_

"Right to the point, then," Hatori said. He held out a folded-up piece of paper. "This is the address for the main Sohma estate."

Tohru took it.

"I want you three to come by on your next day off. I believe we have several very important matters to discuss."

I swallowed harshly, _'Hatori sure is fierce!'_

"And it goes without saying," he continued. "None of you are allowed to speak of our meeting to Yuki, Kyo, or Shigure. Nor are you allowed to refuse my request. Am I being clear?"

'S-sir, yes, sir!" we stuttered fearfully.

"Don't worry!"

We jumped and yelped a little.

"I'll be there to keep an eye on you! And I'll keep the other one on Hari. So you should come over!"

"Oh," Tohru gasped. "We didn't know you were here, Momiji."

"Momiji," Hatori said warningly.

"Hey, if I were them, I'd be scared to be alone with a creepy guy like you!" Momiji told him bluntly. Momiji smiled at us. "So you're gonna come, right?"

_'I guess if Momiji's there it wouldn't be so bad…but still…what's it going to be like when we get there?'_


	7. The Sohma Estate

Everytime I pull out my Dnangel document and plan on starting it, I whip out my Fruits Basket one and before I know it, i finish the chapter and Dnangel is still sitting there blank. Forgive me Princesa de la Luna! I swear I'll get the next chapter out somehow!

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: The Sohma estate<p>

Tohru and I stood outside the gates of the main Sohma house shivering from the cold winter air and from our nerves.

"It's so big," Tohru whispered looking at the gates that stretched long and wide. "Must be a big family."

"I wonder why we couldn't tell Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure that we were coming here today? It's kinda nerve wrecking that we might have to meet the head of the Sohma family all by ourselves." I chuckled uneasily.

Tohru joined in letting me know that I wasn't the only one who was nervous about this.

"Hi!"

Tohru and I spazzed when we saw Momiji sitting on top of the wall with a bright smiley face. He giggled and waved to us from his place on top of the wall next to the gate. "You two are right on time! Go ahead and let yourselves in." he jumped out of sight.

I exhaled deeply and pushed the large wooden door open and we peeked inside. Amazed that it looked bigger on the outside than on the out and at how abandoned it looked. There was not a living soul in sight.

"Come in! Come in! Welcome to the House of Sohma!" Momiji smiled with his arms splayed to show the Sohma estate behind him.

"It's like a whole little town." Tohru whispered.

It really was. The stone pathway led away from the gate and wound its way among the numerous houses that made up the main Sohma estate.

"It's really quiet," I whispered as we followed Momiji down the stone path, "Not a soul around. Like a ghost town."

"C'mon!" Momiji called waving his arms, "This way! I'll show you the rest of the way to Hari's house." He took our hands and tried to pull us after him.

We resisted a little. He looked back at us and smiled. "What? You're not scared are you?"

He sure is observant for a little kid.

"No, of course not," Tohru lied, smiling.

"I like Hari a lot! I think you two will too once you get to know him."

We didn't put up much of a fight as he quietly led us into Hatori's house or room rather. We hung up our coats and placed our shoes away and followed Momiji into an oriented looking doctor's office. It was pretty bare and dark, save for the open sliding door that led to a Zen like garden. Tohru and I knelt on the floor in his office.

"Please, relax. Make yourselves comfortable," Hatori told us as he sat in his office chair at his desk.

_'It's hard to relax when he has such an intense presence!'_ I mentally cried.

I looked over at his desk, with shelves framing it, and noticed a picture frame on a shelf with some books. From where I was sitting I could tell that it was a picture of a woman, but I couldn't see details.

_'A photograph? It doesn't look like he keeps any other personal things in here. And he seems like the type of person who likes to keep up a very professional appearance.'_

I felt Tohru visably tense beside me and I saw the color drain from her face, "What's wrong?" I whispered to her.

"What if we've done something wrong? I mean, if he's concerned with appearances, someone from a big important family like the Sohma's probably doesn't what to be associated with us who used to live in a tent. Maybe we've offended him somehow without even realizing it!" She rambled quietly before she slouched forward on her hands.

"Tohru?" Momiji asked. "You don't look like you feel too good. You want Hari to look at you? He is a doctor, you know."

Tohru jumped back up to her original position. "No! I'm alright! Everything's fine!" She assured quickly.

"I am a doctor, yes." We all looked at Hatori. "But my practice is devoted exclusively to the Sohma family. And I should say Akito in particular. He suffers frequent illness and requires much of my time. So my time is valuable." He looked at us. "Right to the point then?"

"Sure," I replied quietly, trying to keep my heart from pounding out of my chest.

"Even within the Sohma family itself, there are few who know our secret in regard to the Zodiac. It is exceedingly rare that complete outsiders such as yourselves should come to learn of it. Ordinarily, this would have been corrected at once."

Shivers ran up and down out spines.

"But, thus far, it seems Akito has made an exception in your case."

We visibly relaxed.

"Tell me," he continued. "Do you enjoy living there, at Shigure's house?"

"Yes, very much,"

"All the more reason that you should leave."

We looked at him in surprise. 'Leave?'

"It would be best for you all if you had nothing further to do with the Sohma's. Leave Shigure's house and return to your own families. That's only reasonable, is it not?"

Tohru opened her mouth slightly to object to the idea but Hatori continued. "Knowing Shigure I doubt he would ever say anything to you." We watched him walk back over the door. "But there are many dark secrets within the House of Sohma. Life among us is not as pleasant as you two seem to believe. An evil shadow looms over this family. That is the nature of our curse." He turned back to us. "Before you come to regret having been involved with the Sohma's, leave them." He almost mad it sound like an order…

We were silent. What were we supposed to say?

"Say, Hari, I want to take the girls outside and show them the gardens. That's okay, right?"

Without waiting for an answer from Hatori, Momiji grabbed our hands and led us to where we put our coats and shoes. We struggled to get them on once he grabbed our hands and led us out the door, "C'mon! It'll be fun! I'll even show you my favorite spot! Come on, this way!"

-0-

"It's quiet, isn't it?"

We looked up at Momiji.

"Yes, it is…"

"It's because everyone's at the main house getting ready for New Year's," he explained, "It's a really big deal for us. It's the one time of year that we all get together so there's a lot to do!"

"Is that so…"

"Know what? From that treelined road outside the gate…" he pointed in the direction behind us, "…to the main house over there, everyone who lives around here, they're all related to the Sohma family," he explained, spinning around in a full circle

"Wow," Tohru gasped. "That's incredible!"

"Shigure and Yuki? They used to live here, too, a long time ago. The only ones who can live inside the gates are members of the Zodiac, like me, or people who know about the secret." Momiji started walking again and we followed him. "It is exceedingly rare that complete outsiders such as yourselves should come to learn of it..."

Momiji led us back around Hatori's house and we sat on the back porch looking at the snow-dusted garden. "Did you know that Hari can barely see out of his left eye? Hari had a girlfriend once, Kana. She worked as his assistant for a while. And I remember, she was really nice. When she found out about Hari and the Zodiac and all, it didn't even bother her. She just laughed about it."

We looked on as he told Hatori's story.

"They got engaged and they were going to get married. But when they told Akito...well, he got really, really angry, and he said that he wasn't going to allow it. I guess his temper got out of control, 'cause that's when he hurt Hari's eye. But Hari didn't blame him, though. And Kana...she blamed herself. She was convinced that Hari getting hurt like that was all her fault. She couldn't forgive herself, and it gradually started to eat her away inside.

_'Oh gosh…'_

"So Hari did the only thing he could do. He erased Kana's memories. He couldn't stand to watch her tearing herself apart over him, so he made her forget that the two of them had ever been in love. Kana left. Hari cried. And, in spite of all that, he never once blamed Akito."

I had a lump in my throat so big, it hurt to swallow. "Why?" I asked with a quivering voice.

"Well," Momiji trailed, "Because that's the curse. That's why I can understand a little bit of what Hari feels. He doesn't want anyone else to end up like Kana did. He doesn't want any of you to be hurt, the same way she was."

That did it. We started crying.

Momiji looked up. "Huh? Tohru? Zakura? Are you crying?" Momiji asked us worriedly, "Was it me? Did I make you cry? I'm sorry."

Tohru shook her head and buried her face in her hands while I just covered my eyes and silently cried.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

Our bodies shook with hiccups and sobs. "No, that's not it," Tohru sobbed through her tears, "It's just that...I was so worried about coming here. And the whole time, he just wanted to help us. He was being kind. But...after all that you just told us -what he's been through- he's the one that deserves to be shown kindness. Not us."

Momiji blinked at us, and then smiled a little. "I'll got get something to warm us up, okay? I'll be right back," he said, standing up.

I wiped my tears and stood up with him, "I'm going to go for a walk to clear my head."

"You can go inside if you want!" Momiji called over his shoulder.

I gave Tohru a comforting tap on the shoulder before I went on my walk. It wasn't until I rounded around the house that I noticed white flakes falling in front of my eyes. I looked up. "Huh? It's snowing."

_'Come to think of it…it was snowing around that time too…when we visited Dad's grave for the second time since we missed the last grave visit with the family…'_

(Flash back)

_"Mom, there isn't much time before the grave site closes. We need to hurry up and say our prayers to dad." I told my stupor mother who was barely standing up right at the gates. It was early winter and a bit chilly out, we could see the vapors of our breathes with every exhale._

_"Don't worry you little squirt. We'll see you dad as soon as Mitchel gets here." She took a swig from the brown glass bottle that rarely left her hands now a days._

_I stared blankly at the ground, letting my bangs cover my eyes, "Who's Mitchel?"_

_"Mommy's new friend."_

_'In other words her new boyfriend. That's the fourth one this month.'_

_A red Ferrari pulled up in front of us. Mom squealed and basically skipped to the driver side of the car. When the car door opened a tall man with short blond cropped hair exited the car and pulled mom into a hug. It took all my will power not to gag when they started making-out with each other._

_"Mom, dad's grave." I reminded her._

_Mom pulled back slightly and looked at me with a pouty annoyed look. Sometimes I wonder who's the kid around here, "Don't worry, we'll be done in five minutes."_

_I could feel my eye-brow twitching, "The site closes in three."_

_Mitchel pulled away from mom and smiled fakely at me, "Alright, little girl, if you want to see your daddy so badly, then let's go."_

_I glared heatedly at the man, "No! You can't come! You're not allowed to see my dad! It's bad enough that you're here! Only family can see daddy!"_

_Mom cuddled herself against Mitchel, "Honey, Mitchel's going to be around for a while so your father should meet him, too."_

_I violently shook my head, "I don't care! Dad's going to be sad if another guy visits his grave with you!" She couldn't possibly understand that she could be hurting daddy by bringing a man with her to his grave. Daddy didn't need to see that Mom was cheating on him. "I'll visit daddy myself!" I told her before I whirled around on my little foot and ran to the dad's gave site and cried on his tombstone. 'I hate what mom has become. I hate that she brings home strangers every night. I hate that I have to be alone all the time. I want a dad to take my hand when we walk to the store…A dad to tuck me in at night and chase the monsters away and to read me stories and sing a lullaby, and if I have a bad dream to hold me when I cry. And when he says I love you, I want need to worry cause I know that it's true. I want a dad when I get lonely and take the time to play with me even when he's tried from work…I want my daddy back…'_

(End of Flashback)

"Zakura!" A chipper voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Momiji running up to me arms full of canned drinks, with Shigure walking behind him.

"Momiji. Shigure."

Momiji stopped in front of me and peered closely at my face, "Hey, you aren't still crying are you?"

I touched my cheeks to feel any tears I might've shed during my trip down memory lane, when I felt none I gave Momiji a small smile, "Nah, I think I'm done crying for the day. I think I'm fine now."

After hearing that Momiji smiled brightly, "That's good!" He looked down at the drinks in his hands, "I got drinks for everyone so we should get back to Tohru!"

"Tohru…? Oh! In all my day dreaming I forgot I left Tohru with a creepy doctor!"

Momiji pouted cutely, "Hari's not that creepy."

I ignored him and ran back to Hatori's house, "I'm coming, Tohru!"

-0-

"Ah, lo and behold, there they are!"

"Shigure?" Tohru was surprised to see him there.

"Well, I've been looking for you. I found a little lost bunny and Zakuro on the way here," he said, pulling us over.

"Momiji. Zakura! Oh, it wasn't déjà-vu. You all have drinks!"

"Sorry it took so long," Momiji giggled.

Shigure took one of the cans from Momiji's arms and tossed it to Hatori. "Hari."

Hatori turned and caught it. "So what brings you here?"

"Here, Tohru!" Momiji chimed, handing Tohru her can and one for me. He looked at his empty hands and then snuck Shigure an accusing look when he saw Shigure drinking from his can. (So mean of Shigure to steal Momiji's drink)

"I suddenly felt that the girls were here in need of a rescue," Shigure replied to Hatori, "Call it a writer's intuition, if you will."

"That's a lie," Hatori accused, "You only came to see the New Year's preparations, didn't you?"

"Don't let them fool you," Momiji told us as Shigure and Hatori bickered, "These two have been friends since they were kids."

We looked at them. "Wow…"

"Oh, girls, have you asked Hari what Zodiac animal he is?"

Hatori gave Shigure a dark look, "One more word, Shigure, and the entire publishing industry will know every embarrassing thing you've done since you were four."

"Understood," he whimpered holding his hand up in surrender. "My lips are sealed."

"It's not like it's that hard to figure out," Momiji quipped.

"Momiji!"

He clamped his mouth shut.

"So what is it? What's his Zodiac animal? Is it awesome?" I asked curiously.

"I don't see what's so bad about it." Tohru confessed.

They all looked at her in shock, then at Hatori.

Shigure looked at Hatori expectantly, wanting an answer, but he just casually sipped his drink, ignoring Shigure.

"So what is it?" I continued to pester, "Tohru, you know don't you?"

"Well…"

-0-

"I can see how today might have been stressful for you two," Shigure commented as he guided us through the Sohma estate to get back to the gates, "But now that it's over, Hatori's not that bad of a guy, is he?"

"No, in fact he was really quite the gentleman." Tohru smiled.

I nodded in agreement, "Once you get over his stoic personality he's an ok guy."

Suddenly, a tiny sparrow flew by, a feather dropping off near our heads. Simultaneously Tohru and looked to our left where we saw the bird take off and we saw a pale boy with dark hair leaning out of a window on the ground floor. He blinked once at us and then leaned away from the window. I faintly heard a bell chime as he slowly disappeared.

_'Could that have been-?'_

"Come on, girls," Shigure called, "It's easy to get lost in here."

"Shigure," Tohru whispered, "Tell us, what is the curse...exactly? Are we doing something that we shouldn't be?"

Shigure smiled reassuringly, "I wouldn't worry. Just keep being yourselves, that's really all you need to know."

_'I don't know…just now when I made eye contact with that boy my stomach dropped…I have a bad feeling for some reason…Are we doing something that we shouldn't be…?'_

-0-

"I'm home!" Shigure called as we went through the door.

"Us too! We're here!" I chimed in. "Sorry, we're so late."

We went to the living room where we heard the TV on. Upon sliding back the door, we found our two favorite boys sleeping at the kotatsu table. Yuki was slouched over on the table using his arms as a pillow. Kyo was on the floor tucked under the kotatsu blanket using the sitting pillow as a regular pillow under his head.

"Awww…they're so cute when they're like this…" I whispered quietly.

"Ah. I guess sitting around the heater like that got to be a bit too comfortable," Shigure said quietly.

"I guess so," Tohru said, smiling. She was enjoying it as much as I was. It's not often that they let their guard down like this.

"It might be dangerous to wake them up. Why don't we let them sleep for a while?"

_I do know one thing. I know I'm going to try to always remember the way I feel right now, about everyone, about living here. I never want those feelings to change. Every day that we live here in this house is dear to me. Every single day…dad…I hope you're watching me because even though you're not here with me…I'm happy again…_


	8. New Years cleaning?

Thank you everyone for your never ending support! It really keeps me going on the worst of days! It's awesome to still see some Fruits Basket fans out there, I never thought my story would be popular so early on in the story and so far, No Flammers! Yay!

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: New Years cleaning?<p>

The year went by so fast! It seemed that only a few days ago we were celebrating Christmas and now December's over and we're getting ready for New Years. It's the last day of the year so we're getting some New Years cleaning done.

Tohru was on duty for dusting the tatami mats, blankets, and rugs. Yuki was cleaning/dusting the doors and windows. Kyo was moving furniture outside. And I was sweeping and wiping things in the living room.

Yuki was cleaning the door when he accidently poked his hand through it.

"Dammit, can't you do anything right?" Kyo snapped at him as he walked by carrying the TV.

"You're the last person I need to hear from right now." Yuki retorted.

"What's that supposed to mean? You tryin' to start something?"

"Quit horsing around, you two," Even Uo and Hana agreed to come by and help us.

"Who asked you, you dirty b-"

Uo whipped her duster around Kyo's mouth. She pulled his head towards her, cracking his neck. "You gonna talk to me like that after I came here to help you out of the goodness of my heart?"

Kyo's reply was muffled by the duster.

Thankfully Tohru came to the rescue and patched the hole right up.

"I...uh...I'm sorry about that," Yuki apologized.

"Don't worry," she replied with a smile. "It was just a little tear. It's easy to fix."

Shigure hopped by, whining, "I think I'm going to wet my pants." Sadly Shigure and his editor were the only ones around the house not helping. Half the time they were in the way of the cleaning.

"Hey, Kyo, can you help me move this bookshelf?" I called out to him from Shigure's room. Mii was nice enough to leave while I moved some of the books off the shelf to make it lighter to move.

"It's going to be too heavy for you," Kyo said coming into the room with Yuki following him, "Let me and the rat do it."

"Nah, it's alright. I want to help." I assured them.

Yuki was the first to give in, "Alright, but if it gets too heavy you can let go."

"Alright." I agreed grabbing onto one part of the shelf in the middle while Kyo and Yuki grab the other ends.

Steadily we moved our way from Shigure's room and into the living room. We were almost to the middle of the room when we started struggling with it.

Shigure was sneaking by again, apparently trying to escape his editor again.

"Shigure!"

"Just in time! Give us a hand!"

Shigure grabbed part of the case next to Kyo. "Put your backs into it!" he said, lifting up.

Shigure's editor ran as well. "Hey! Shigure...!"

"Mii! Come grab that end!" Shigure whined.

"You should be working on your manuscript!"

"Come on, hurry!" I yelped when the bookshelf nearly teetered over.

"Right!" Mii said, grabbing on and lifting.

"Heave, ho, heave, ho, heave…"

We managed to shuffle the bookshelf all the way to the door when the weight of the shelf started shifting. Shigure somehow vanished quickly and when Mii realized it, she released the bookshelf so quickly that we all lost our bearings!

"Wait!"

"Hold on!"

"You're gonna drop it!"

"Timber!" Shigure sang from outside in the bushes.

Unfortunately we couldn't save the bookshelf…or the door…or the books…

"Ah, lovely. They smashed the house again," Shigure sighed before disappearing in the bushes. It was kinda his fault that the case fell in the first place.

"It's your fault!" Kyo accused, pointing at Yuki. "Your end fell first, you damn rat!"

"Really, your eyes must be as weak as your arms, stupid cat." Yuki retorted, turning away.

"Um...is everyone okay?" Tohru asked.

"That's it!" Kyo shouted. "Let's go!"

Uo came out and grabbed Kyo's head with her duster again, pulling him to the ground.

"Why does it always gotta be me?" Kyo grumbled.

"Now get off your ass and start cleaning it up," she ordered.

Tohru started fixing the door for the second time today. Yuki decided to stack the books that fell off the shelf. Kyo was dusting off the over head light while I was removing the framed pictures off the wall. That's when Mii stalk through the living room yelling for Shigure, again. "Shigure! Shigure!"

I let out a soft irritated sigh, "I wish Shigure would stop fooling around and get his work done so she would stop running around the house yelling."

"Same here." Kyo whispered back.

"There, good as new," Tohru cheered when she finished the door.

Mii stomped by Kyo still yelling out Shigure's name. Her obliviousness to everything else around caused her to knock into Kyo's stool. Of course she didn't notice Kyo reeling back and falling through the newly fixed and now newly broken door…

"You clumsy idiot!" Uo yelled grabbing Kyo with the dusters by his ankle and dangled him off a cliff.

"It's not my fault!" Kyo cried.

-0-

Yuki and Uo held the door up while Tohru fixed it again for the third time.

"If you're not helping, you could at least get out of the way," he said to Kyo, who was sitting in front of us on the porch.

"You're the last person I need to hear from," Kyo shot back feeling miffed about being knocked through the door and being tortured by Uo.

"Maybe one of you better go on and do the shopping." Uo suggested.

She was right. At the rate things are going, we'll be spending most of the day fixing the door rather than cleaning. The sun was going to go down soon and we barely managed to clean everything.

"Oh, good idea."

"Shopping!" Shigure sang, popping in, "Great! But you'll need someone to carry your things! I'll go too!"

Suddenly, a lasso came from behind and wrapped around his middle. When it was securely tightened a livid Mii was on the other end of the lasso dragging Shigure back to his office.

"Oh, girls. I'm sorry. Something's come up. You'll have to find someone else to go with you," Shigure literally cried.

I turned to Tohru, "At any rate, I'll go do the shopping. Since Tohru's best at fixing anything that's broken, she'll stay here and help. Knowing Shigure and Mii a lot more things will be broken."

"Are you sure?" Tohru asked.

I nodded reassuringly, "Yeah. Don't worry; I'll be back in a flash!"

"Okay, well try to be back soon."

-0-

While everyone else held down the fort back at the house, Yuki volunteered to go with me to go do the shopping. Tohru and Uo agreed that that was best, since Kyo was still in a sour mood and probably wouldn't be patient with me.

Not that I would admit out loud but it was a bit refreshing to shop with someone quiet and polite. Sure, Yuki doesn't talk much but it's a little better than having a spaz or a loud mouth cat…and I say that with endearment…

"So, Miss Kojima, what are you and Miss Honda going to make?" he asked curiously

"New Year's cakes," I said, grabbing any kind of good filling for the cakes, "Mostly Mochi."

"Uh, New Year's cakes?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just hope we picked out ingredients everyone likes," I looked in my basket and counted everyone's favorite dish.

"Oh," Yuki said, looking a little sad. "Shigure, Kyo, and I will be going back to the main house tonight. I'm sorry." He softly apologized.

I looked up at him a little startled by the sudden news.

"I really should've explained earlier to the two of you. It's sort of a Sohma family tradition. I, uh... I guess it was just such an obvious thing to us that we'd be going, that we completely forgot to mention it to either of you."

_'That means Tohru and I are going to be alone this New years coming…It'll be the first year Tohru will celebrate the new year coming without her mom…It's okay, I won't let her be depressed by herself! I'll be there with her even if the Sohma's won't be!'_

"That's alright," I struggled to smile to cover up my inner sadness, "But in that case, I guess I'm getting a little too much, huh?" I stiffly put Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure's favorite foods back in a random aisle. _'We'll get through this Tohru…'_

I looked up when I heard the sound of giggling. Two little girls were blindly running down the aisle and they were headed right for Yuki!

"Ah! Yuki, behind you! Look out!"

-0-

A few hours later after Yuki transformed back the rest of us finally finished cleaning and organizing the entire house…the sun had begun to set just in time for dinner…

"Thank you for this meal!"

We all broke our chopsticks and got ready to dig into our soba noodles when Mii burst in, holding a kite with the symbol for "dog" on it.

"What happened now?" I asked with my mouth full of noodles.

"Shi...gu...re..." Mii panted, ready to collapse.

"Ah, Mii," Shigure said, smiling. "You look tired. Sit down, have something to eat." He let out a good natural laugh as if he hadn't tortured her for the last few hours.

She started bawling. Really she should just quit her job; it's not worth it when you have to deal with Shigure.

-0-

After dinner, Tohru and Uo brought the dishes into the kitchen so I could wash them and so Hana could dry them. The boys told us to keep a closer eye on her after what she did to the downstairs and upstairs bathroom. They were not happy…

"Ah, New Year's cakes!" Tohru exclaimed, eyeing the little cakes sitting on the counter. "My favorite thing about New Year's."

"But is that going to enough for the five of you?" Uo asked.

"Oh, I just made enough for us," I told her giving Hana another bowl.

They looked at me.

"Yuki, Kyo and Shigure are going to be spending New Year's at the main house." I explained briefly to them.

"Why didn't they say something earlier?" Tohru asked. I could hear the sadness in her voice right away.

"Yuki said they weren't really thinking about it because it's a tradition in their family

"Oh…" She looked down, depressed. I net she was looking forward to spending New Years with everyone.

I grabbed her by her shoulders, "Don't worry! We can celebrate New Years together!

"It's okay, guys," I said. "We'll spend New Year's together, right?"

"Right," She nodded and tried to smile, but it was a broken smile.

-0-

After waving good-bye to Hana and Uo, Tohru and I decided to venture into the living room to watch the New Year count down, however we were surprised to walk into the living room and find Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki still sitting at the kotatsu table.

"Oh, girls, it's terrible," Shigure whined. "Neither one of these two wants to go back with me to Sohma House..."

"Dammit, quit whining! You're supposed to be an adult!" Kyo shouted, pounding his fist on the table.

"Um...you're not going back?" I asked as we took our places at the table.

"I haven't been to that place in four months, I'm not gonna go back just 'cause of some stupid New Year's thing."

"And you, Yuki?" Tohru asked.

"I had my reasons for leaving. They'd seem almost meaningless if I went back tonight."

"Why do you have to be like this?" Shigure whined, "You've both gone every year before now, haven't you?"

"Is it a big deal that they do go?"

"You see, New Year's is a big night for the Sohmas. It's the one holiday that the entire extended family gets together to celebrate."

"That does sound big."

"Getting through all the introductions can be an event, but I'd have to say the real highlight of the evening is the Zodiac Banquet."

"A banquet?" Tohru asked excitedly.

"Yes, and it's probably the most important part of the Sohma New Year's celebration," Shigure explained, "As the name might imply, it's an event that only members of the Zodiac are allowed to attend. The Zodiac member of the New Year performs a dance. This year, it's Momiji's turn." Shigure then sighed happily. "Ah, but nothing could compare to the beautiful dance Yuki did three years ago."

"I wish I could've seen it!" Tohru said excitedly.

I nodded, "Must've been beautiful."

Yuki picked up three slices of fruit and slapped them against Shigure's face, "I told you never to talk about that!"

"Right," Shigure whimpered fearfully.

"So the Zodiac Banquet is just like the old folk tale, huh?"

"It doesn't matter to me," Kyo cut in.

We looked at him.

"I mean, it's not like I can even go to that stupid banquet anyway."

"Why not?" I asked.

"It's been a long-standing rule that the Cat isn't allowed to attend. I suppose that's in keeping with the old folk tale as well," Shigure said.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, _'But if Kyo can't go to the banquet why go to the event at all?'_

Kyo looked at me for a moment, his cheeks flushing a little. "Ah, it's nothing you gotta be gettin' all upset about, I don't care. It's not the reason I'm not going back, if that's what you think."

"I think he's afraid he'll get hurt, what with Kagura so excited to see him and all," Shigure whispered to us.

"Shut up!" Kyo shouted at him.

"In any event..." Yuki cut in. "If we go back to Sohma House tonight, we'll have to stay until the third, won't we? So for three days, we'd be leaving the girls here all alone."

Kyo looked at him, as if he hadn't known this.

"Stupid cat, did you just realize that?"

Kyo jumped up and grabbed Yuki's shirt in his hands. "Don't call me stupid!"

"Then don't act stupid, stupid."

"Please wait, you two," Tohru said cutting in on their little argument, "Thank you for worrying. But you don't have to. We'll be fine by ourselves…but it's funny just knowing you're both thinking about us, well..." She trailed off getting a bit flustered.

"What she means is, we're happy! And we want you to be happy, too. So, go enjoy yourselves and be with your family. This is your family's special night and you'll get to see your parents for the first time in a while, right? I'm sure they're all looking forward to seeing you."

They looked a little...strange at that comment.

"Promise, we'll be fine! And we'll take great care of the house while you're gone." Tohru declared confidently pounding her fist to her chest, "Promise! You're talking to the girls who-Ah! The bath water! I left it running again!" She ran out.

I sighed and went after her. _'Hope she didn't flood it again…'_

(Down stairs)

"If that doesn't inspire confidence, nothing will," Shigure chuckled eating one of the pickled radishes that Yuki threw at him earlier.

Yuki and Kyo stood.

"Okay," Yuki sighed, "I'll go back."

"Guess I've got no choice," Kyo stated not happy that he was backed into a corner.

_'If it's what she wants,_' Yuki thought.

_'When she says it like that, and all,'_ Kyo thought.

Shigure looked at them curiously.

-0-

"Try to be careful. Watch out for all the crowds." Tohru said motherly.

"We'll be fine. There won't be many people out right now."

"You two be careful, too. Make sure you lock all the doors." Yuki reminded them.

I nodded, "And the windows. Got it."

They nodded and walked out.

"Be safe!" We called, waving after them until they were out of sight.

Tohru sadly lowered her hand and went into her little depression corner in her mind. I know there was little I could do to make her happy, but I was going to try my hardest.

I grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her into the living room, "I'll go get us some tea and cake so we can cry together…okay?"

Tohru nodded stiffly, "Do you think mom would like to join us?"

I gave her a weak smile, "I'm sure she would." _'Great! Now I'm about to cry! I promised to keep it together!'_

Tohru scampered her way upstairs to get her mom's picture while I went into the kitchen to make some mint tea with our New Years cakes.

**(Every now and then I'm going to start adding other view points to make it interesting)**

Yuki and Kyo stared at the ground as they followed Shigure through the quiet streets to the Sohma house.

"You know," Kyo thought aloud. "Zakura always used to leave that window in her room wide open..."

"What were you doing in her room?"

"I wasn't! I saw it from outside!"

"Miss Honda is rather careless herself…this morning she tripped on the stairs again…"

"And she's always bumping into walls and stuff," Kyo commented, finding it ridiculous how clumsy the two girls were on a daily basis, "Clumsy as she are, if there was a way to choke on rice, she'd find it." He almost laughed at the thought.

"Don't even joke about that!" Yuki scolded, "Miss Kojima almost isn't any better, with the martial arts lessons she takes from you, she gets a little more violent at school whenever someone picks on Miss Honda."

Kyo jammed his hands in his coat pocket, "I can't be responsible for every stupid thing she does! Besides she's only doing it because she's protective of Tohru."

"Those two are rather close…"

"You two...You sound like a couple of old ladies, the way you worry." Shigure teased, turning to face them. "Don't get me wrong, I understand your concern for the girls, but you've already made the decision to go back to Sohma House."

"Now hold on! Who said I was concerned?" Kyo shouted.

"Stop talking nonsense, let's go."

They walked past Shigure.

Shigure thought for a moment. "Oh, now that I think about it I did see an article in the evening paper about a rash of burglaries in the neighborhood." Yuki and Kyo froze. "The culprit is still at large, or so they say."

_'Oh, great. If a burglar came to the house, Tohru would probably invite him in!'_

_'She would give him a seat at the table and serve him tea and then ask him questions about himself!'_

_'And then when they find out that he is the burglar Zakura probably try to take him out herself …' _

_'…And knowing her, she'd do it. And then the burglar would come back with a whole mob of burglars and then…_

They both groaned with worry as worse case scenarios clouded their minds.

"Let's be on our way, shall we? If you two stand in the middle of the street like that-"

"You'll get run over." Hana appeared out of the darkness of the night before them.

They all jumped and yelled in fear. Kyo fell to his knees while Yuki and Shigure managed to keep their footing.

"O-oh, Saki," Shigure whimpered, recovering from the near death scare, "What a pleasant surprise."

_'Why can't she just say "hello" like a normal person?'_ Kyo wondered.

_'Where in the world did she get that cloak?'_ Yuki wondered. (Best thought he ever had!)

"Can we help you with...something?" Shigure asked.

"Yes...Perhaps."

"Are you looking for the girls? They're back at the house. We were just on our way to visit our family."

"I see..." she before looking at the ground sorrowfully, "Then for them, this will truly be a lonely New Year's. Until now, the girls spent every New Year's Eve together with Tohru's mother. Zakura's father passed away when she was young and her mother was never around for her so she spent most of her life with Tohru and her mother."

Realization swept over Kyo and Yuki.

"This is the first year they will ever see without their loved ones by their sides. Instead, they will have to spend this night alone. Zakura's probably doing her best to comfort poor Tohru, but she's probably being consumed by sadness aswell. I offered to stay with them, but they wouldn't hear of it. They just said I should be with my own family. But what about them? What family do they have tonight? And how will they feel, sitting there by themselves, remembering the New Years of the past and will never share with their families again? How will they feel when the New Year's bells begin to chime, the same bells they used to stay up late to hear with their parents?"

_'How did they feel? Standing there as we were leaving?'_

_'When they were smiling and waving goodbye?'_

"Do you really think they'll be unaffected by that?" Hana continued. "Do you really think they'll be alright?"

'How does she feel right now…?'

'All alone in that house…?'

Suddenly Yuki and Kyo cried out in pain, holding their heads.

"Do I even want to know what happened?" Shigure asked.

"I can explain." Hana stated.

"What are you doing? You know Akito's just gonna get pissed!" Kyo growled holding his injured head.

"Kyo bumped his head as he was standing up…" Hana narrated.

"And what about you?" Yuki smirking, rubbing his injured cheek, "I wouldn't keep Kagura waiting."

"The thing he bumped into was Yuki's right cheek. This happened due to the fact that both of them started moving at the same time. End of commentary." Hana concluded.

"Shut up!" Kyo shouted to Yuki as both of them walked back down the street the way they had come.

"Why don't you go see her if you're so worried about it?"

"I'm busy."

"Um, wait a minute. Where are you going, exactly?" Shigure asked watching his young cousins storm down the street.

They both stopped, then turned back to Shigure. "I'm going home!" they said in unison, then took off running back for home.

Shigure looked at Hana. "So, Saki. I'm suddenly under the distinct impression that you had all of this planned out."

Hana gave him a sideways glance. "I didn't really know what would happen if I came. I only knew that I wanted to do something for my friends. And that is all." She turned, her cloak blowing out behind her. "I wish you pleasant electric waves this coming year."

Shigure scratched his head. "Not sure what to make of that one..."

-0-

_'Why?'_ Yuki wondered running along side Kyo, _'Why didn't I realize sooner?'_

_'I just didn't see it!'_ Kyo scolded himself, pushing his legs harder to get to the house, _'But how could I? She looks so happy all the time even when she's upset!'_

_'She always has a smile... Sometimes, it seems like even the simplest thing can make them smile for hours. But still...'_

_'Saying they don't mind being alone, that they're alright...There isn't a person alive who'd really feel that way!'_

-0-

Tohru and I shot up in panic when the front door burst open. I blinked away my tears, shocked to see Yuki and Kyo standing in the doorway, both of them breathing heavily.

"Kyo? Yuki?" I wanted to ask them why they were suddenly here but my voice was cracked.

Yuki walked over to Tohru. He raised his hand to her face and lifted a single tear from her eye and showed it to her.

She and I gasped and furiously wiped our eyes.

"Oh, we weren't crying!" I babbled.

"It's just the holiday season and all!" Tohru lied, "People get a little emotional this time of year!"

They both sighed and collapsed on their hands and knees.

We rushed over them, concerned for their health.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" I asked nervously.

"We have to watch the first sunrise," Yuki panted.

"Yeah," Kyo said, panting as well. "And I wanna have some more of those New Year's soba noodles."

They looked up at us, still trying to catch their breath.

_'…they came back for us…'_ Just the thought almost made me start crying again, '_…they ran all the way back to spend New Years with us…'_

(1 minute to sunrise!)

The four of us went up on the roof to watch the first sunrise of the New Year after we had our fill of tea and New Years cakes.

"So, you talked to Hana?" Tohru asked once we were all safely sitting on the roof.

"We sort of...ran into her on the way." Yuki replied.

"Is that right?" Tohru asked.

"I guess we should call Hana first and thank her…but, uh...are you sure this is okay?" I asked. "I mean, what's the rest of your family going think? They won't mind that you stayed here, will they? We don't want you to get in any trouble over us."

"It's no trouble," Yuki smiled, "We'll just go back sometime before the third and visit with everyone."

"Oh, okay," Tohru smiled, turning back to look on the mist-covered forest before us.

I checked the watch on my wrist, "Hey, the sun should be coming up any second now!"

Tohru gasps in awe and stood up with her hands clasped to her chest, "You're right! The sun's coming up!"

"Have you decided what to wish for yet?" I asked them.

"I've got mine all ready to go!"

As the sun peeked over the horizon the dawn of a new year was upon us…

Kyo grunted and jumped to his feet. "This year, I'm gonna beat that damn rat!"

Yuki smiled softly. "Ah, you're wishing, aren't you?"

We laughed a little as Kyo sighed dejectedly.

_'My wish for this year is for everyday with the Sohma's to be blessed with happiness, laughter, and love.'_


	9. Hatsuharu Sohma

Hatsuharu is another favorite of mine. He's voiced by the same guy who voice Yusuke from Yu Yu Hakusho! They couldn't have casted it better! Haru is such a sexy loose cannon when he goes black and when he's white he's such a sweetie! Sometimes I don't think Rin does him justice, I understand her reasons behind hurting Haru, but I think they could've used someone less morbid...

Anyway, thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! Please enjoy!

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Hatsuharu Sohma<p>

_'Sometimes I hate winter due to the cold crisp mornings…what I hate even more is going to school in the winter, I hate dragging myself out of nice warm bed to walk in the cold air… and what's worse is that we have the endurance run tomorrow in gym class...'_

"Wipe that little smirk off your face before I come over there and do it for you! Yeah, you'll be sorry then, won't you? And I'll make you say it!" Kyo threatened.

"I'm sorry," Yuki said calmly.

"Shut up! You're a real wise guy, you know that!"

"At least I'm not the noisy idiot who's causing a scene in front of the store."

"Oh, you've done it now, girly-boy! We're taking this outside!"

"We're already outside, you stupid cat."

I let out a heavy sigh as Tohru made the last payment for the groceries, "Those two are embarrassing. We can't even go to the store and leave them alone for five minutes without them breaking into a fight."

Tohru look the change from the clerk and gathered the rest of the bags in her arms, "I guess our wishes aren't having much effect, are they?" She was a little let down about it because lately Yuki and Kyo have been arguing even more. They need a vacation.

"Sorry we took so long," Tohru apologized as we walked out.

"That's alright," Yuki said, smiling as he ignored Kyo's glare. "Find everything you needed?"

"Uh-huh," Tohru said glancing worriedly at Kyo, who looked ready to rip Yuki's head off.

The argument between them didn't stop there either. Even on the slow walk home they were going at it. They argue over the stupidest of things!

"Do you gotta walk so close to me? I'm already pissed off enough having to be out here with you!" Kyo snapped

"So why did you come?" Yuki shot back.

Tohru and I hung a few steps in the back, knowing it's almost pointless to stop their argument knowing it was going to start up again in a few seconds.

"You know, you are starting to get on my nerves," Yuki snapped, glaring at Kyo.

"Oh, yeah? Why don't you try to do something about it, girly-boy-"

Yuki grabbed some leeks out of a shopping bag and jammed them in Kyo's open mouth.

Kyo froze before falling over, "Leeks...!"

"Kyo!"

"Aw! We just bought those…"

"There. That should keep him quiet for a little while." Yuki coughed a little.

Tohru gave him a concerned look, but he didn't seem to notice after he had finished coughing.

I squatted down next to Kyo and patted his back while he spewed the leeks out of his mouth.

-0-

After that interesting walk from the store, Tohru went into the kitchen to prepare lunch, Yuki went to his room to do some studying, and who knows where Shigure disappeared to. Kyo was still pale from the taste of leeks in his mouth and slumped on the living room floor. I followed after him and nudged him with my foot.

"Hey, Kyo, can you help we practice for the endurance run?"

"Huh?" He looked up at me with mild confusion, "Why do you need practice? You just run." He said it as though it were the simplest thing in the world…

"I know I 'just run', but I want to know how to run longer…I can literally run for only one minute and then I start walking the rest of the way." I admitted a little embarrassed.

Kyo almost snorted, "You suck."

I pouted angrily at him, "Well, excuse me for not being extremely fit as you and Yuki…so can you help me or not?"

With a small sigh he stood up, "Yeah, come on."

(15 minutes later)

"Keep your knees leveled and control your breathing!"

How…do…I control…my breathing?" I panted trailing terribly behind Kyo who was jogging ahead of me backwards to keep an eye on my progress.

"Breath through your nose and exhale through your mouth," He answered stopping on top of the dirt trail that over looked Yuki's secret base, "Be sure to keep your head up!"

_'Didn't know Kyo could be such a drill sergeant when it came to running, he's really passionate about it.' _I picked up my pace as best as I could to reach him. Thankfully he called a time out because my legs gave out the second I was next to him.

"I thought you were kidding when you said you sucked at running," Kyo had his hands on his hips as he stared down at my ragged form, "You're really tired? I haven't even broken a sweat."

I gave him a weak glare, "Sorry, I don't run often." I took a deep breath of air through my mouth only to have Kyo whack me in the back of the head lightly.

"I told you to breath through your nose. You're just going to get thirsty and a dry throat faster if you breathe through your mouth like that."

"I don't suppose you have any water on you?" I asked weakly, almost complaining.

"You can get water after you finish running," He said sternly grabbing my wrist and hoisting me back to my sore feet, "We'll go slow this time, ok?"

I nodded weakly and we started jogging again at a slower, quieter pace. Kyo was kind enough to cut back a lot to hang back with me. In fact, it was nice that he bothered to help me at all…I thought he found me annoying and didn't want to spend time with me, but here we are, jogging in the woods with the sun setting behind us. It wasn't all that bad actually…this was nice…very nice…

-0-

We came to the end of our jog when we rounded the house back to the sliding doors that led to the living room.

"Maybe you should stay home from school tomorrow," I heard Tohru say.

"No, I'm alright. It won't have to come to that," Yuki said.

"Are you sure? We are supposed to do our endurance run tomorrow."

"Oh, so they still have those?" Shigure asked. "It seems almost cruel, making you kids run around in the cold."

Kyo suddenly burst through the door, scaring poor Tohru, "An endurance run, huh? A set distance...a certain time to beat. In other words, it's a race!" Wow, flames of passion burned behind him! "Alright, rat boy! Tomorrow, we're going to find out who's the fastest!"

"Kyo," Tohru said. "Yuki's starting to come down with a cold."

"A cold?" I asked worriedly.

"So you better give him some medicine and put him to bed," Kyo told Tohru. "He's not getting out of this one." Then he went off muttering about the race and how he was going to win.

Yuki coughed.

"Here, take one of these," Shigure said, handing Yuki a small box. "All joking aside, remember, if you strain your body too much, you'll transform. Don't overdo it."

"I know," Yuki replied.

_'I hope Yuki will be alright tomorrow for Tohru's sake. She'll worry herself sick and then we'll have two people to take care of…'_

-0-

The next day was the endurance run. Our entire year gathered out in front of the school in their gym clothes waiting anxiously for the test to start. The gym teachers had posted a map at the gate to show the starting point- the school gates, the trail that lead through a small part of town, and the ending point- back to the school. They have teachers stationed at check points in case anything goes wrong.

"I'm really not looking forward to this…" I moaned zipping up my school track jacket.

When Tohru didn't comment, I looked over to her to see her walking over to where Yuki was tying his shoes. "Yuki, how are you feeling today?" she asked him.

He smiled at her reassuringly, "Don't worry; I think I'll be able to manage." He got up and stood next to us. "Besides if I don't do this that stupid cat will never let me hear the end of it."

Kyo was crouched on the pavement near us, hissing at Yuki.

"I think that's his game face." I commented.

We all looked up at the sound of the whistle.

"Alright!" our teacher called. "Girls, you're up first! Please make your way to the starting line at the gate."

"Well, gotta run," Tohru joked as we started to walk away.

"Good luck!" Yuki called after us.

Tohru and I walked to gate where Hana was standing.

"Hana, let's do our best today for Uo." Tohru smiled.

Yeah, Uo decided to skip today…something about allergies.

Hana kept her emotionless face, "Alright, I've never been very good at running, but since you asked I'll be sure to try my hardest."

"On your marks! Get set!" He pulled the trigger on the gun, signaling the start of the race. Tohru and I stayed together with Hana but the second we got past the gate, Hana collapsed!

"Hana! Are you okay?" Tohru asked frantically when Hana lightly clutched her chest.

"Ahh…" Hana moaned 'weakly' as she kneeled on the pavement, "Tohru, Zakura, I'm sorry. I can't run any further…" She held onto Tohru's hand and they shared a sparkling moment that I only shook my head in shame to, "…I've done my best but it looks like I've reached the edge of my limits. Run on without me and don't worry, I'll be right behind you all the way…only walking…"

"Hana…"

I don't think Tohru understands that Hana has no intention of continuing the test.

"Walk, crawl, I don't care. Just start Miss Hanajima." The gym teacher said not at all moved by the scene.

-0-

Not long after, Tohru and I were keeping a steady jogging pace with a few other girls who were pacing themselves. Even though I'm jogging, I'm glad I'm lasting longer than I would've.

"I think the boys are starting about now," I panted as we came to a bridge.

"I hope Yuki's alright," Tohru said panting along side me.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Yuki's alright…" I trailed off to a when I saw something white on the grassy hillside to our left.

Tohru stopped as well when she saw that I had stopped.

"What is it?"

"There's...someone down there..." I ran off down the hill.

"Excuse me," Tohru called when we got closer.

When he looked up, we saw that he wasn't an old man. He was around our age!

"We're sorry, but we saw you from up there, and thought that maybe you needed help. Not that you look like you need help! I-" Tohru babbled stumbling to a stop next to the white haired teenage boy.

"Have you ever heard of a place called Sohma House?"

We looked at each other, then at the guy.

"So, by any chance, are you a Sohma?" I asked kneeling down in the grass along with Tohru.

"That's right," he said. "So you know it then?"

"Oh, yes," Tohru stuttered bowing her head, "Pleased to meet you! I'm Tohru-"

Before she could say more, the guy looked up. He crawled back up to the road and looked in the direction where we had come from. "He's coming."

He took a rope out of his coat pocket, tied one end to the guard rail, and strung it across the road back to where Tohru and I were.

"Um...what are you doing?" I asked.

"Hm…" He crouched in between us with the rope in hand.

Not a moment later we heard the sound of quick feet hitting the pavement and the sound of someone yelling.

Tohru and I looked down the street to see Yuki and Kyo were getting closer. Just as Kyo pulled ahead of Yuki the guy tugged on the rope, tightening it, and tripped Kyo.

Kyo fell flat on his face on the asphalt.

"Got him."

Tohru stood, staring at the Kyo, her eyes wide.

"Ah! Kyo!" I rushed over to see if he was still conscious. I knelt down next to Kyo and put my hand on his back and started shaking him gently. "Kyo?"

Suddenly he shot up. "What the hell was that?" he shouted. "Dammit! I was winning and everything!" I don't think he cared that his forehead was slightly bleeding.

"Well, if I hadn't tripped you, you wouldn't have stopped, now would you?" the guy asked.

"Haru?" Kyo asked in disbelief.

"By the way," Haru turned his head to look over his shoulder slightly, "what I just did was very dangerous. And if that had been anyone other then Kyo, he probably would've been hurt pretty badly. So don't try this at home." (The Fourth Wall!)

"Don't try it here!" Kyo yelled. "Who are you even talking to?"

"So now it's Haru," Yuki said quietly. "They just keep showing up, don't they? Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked as Haru stood up.

"Yeah..." Haru started, "…well, I left on Sunday with the intention of coming here, but I was swept away into the heart of a dark urban wilderness and it took my three days to find my way out."

Yuki sighed. "Why don't you just say you got lost?"

"That's a very poetic way to admit it though." I laughed.

"His sense of direction's as crappy as ever," Kyo said, rubbing his forehead.

"Well, if you're going get lost, that's a pretty impressive way to do it," Tohru agreed, standing as well.

I looked down the road and noticed more students coming. "Um...do you think we should move somewhere off the road?" I asked.

"That might be wise," Yuki said before gesturing to Haru, "Oh, ladies, this is Hatsuharu. He's in his third year of middle school. Haru, these are the ladies are Miss Tohru Honda and Zakura Kojima."

"Well, ladies," Hatsuharu smiled, bowing; "it is a great pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, no, the pleasure is all ours!" Tohru said as we bowed back.

Its cute how Tohru gets so flustered when she meets new people, especially guys from the Sohma family…why is it that they're all good looking?

-0-

"So what did you come here for anyway?" Kyo asked Hatsuharu.

We were now safely hidden under the bridge.

"To fight," Hatsuharu answered simply, "I was planning on challenging you at the New Year's banquet, but you skipped out. So I've come to you." He stepped forward and grabbed Kyo's shirt in his fist. "Now let's do it."

"H-hold on a minute!" Kyo objected, "I'm right in the middle of something here, in case you hadn't noticed!"

"I've already wasted three days looking for you."

"That's your own damn fault! You're the one who got lost!"

"Forget I said it. Let's go!"

"Wait till we get home! Then I'll fight you all you want!"

"No way!"

"Are they really going to fight?" I asked, leaning against the wall.

"This could get ugly." We looked at Yuki as he weakly tried to stop the fight, "Hey, Kyo," he said, stepping forward a little. "Maybe you should just go ahead and do what he says before-"

Kyo wasn't listening, "No! I said no and I mean no! Now go away. I'm busy."

Kyo started to walk away, but was stopped when Hatsuharu head-butting Kyo in the back of the head.

My hands flew to my mouth in shock.

Kyo fell to his knees, holding his head and grunting in pain.

"You make me sick..." Tohru and I looked at Hatsuharu in shock, "You and your pathetic whining!"

"Too late," Yuki sighed quietly, almost to himself.

"You're not a man. You're a little kitty-cat, too scared to fight! Know what? You can go to hell!" He laughed at Kyo while flipping him off.

"You little punk!" Kyo jumped up, swinging his leg at Hatsuharu's jaw, "What's your problem? What did I ever do to you?"

"That idiot," Yuki said. "He just had to go and bring out Black Haru."

"Black Haru?" Tohru asked.

"Haru's pretty easy to get along with, but once he snaps, he's uncontrollable. That's our nickname for when he's like this- Black Haru."

"Ah," we looked back at the on-going fight.

"So, what you're saying is that he's got the same sort of temper as Kagura?"

"Not at all," Suddenly, Haru was in front of him, one hand on Yuki's chin and the other on the wall next to his head, "I'm saying he's a thousand times worse."

"Yuki, comfortable?" Haru asked. "Enjoying the show? Hope so, 'cause I'm coming for you next."

"Oh, is that a fact," Yuki said dryly.

Haru grunted and turned back around. "Get up, Kyo!"

"I've been up!" Kyo shouted. "Where the hell were you?"

"I'm right here. C'mon! Fight!"

"You know," Yuki said, "this could on for hours. You ladies really don't have to stay."

"Uh- But-" Tohru started.

I crossed my arms and watched the fight curiously, "I kinda want to see how this ends."

"'Go away!' 'Leave me alone!'" Haru said mockingly. His and Kyo's fingers were interlaced, both of them pressing against each other to try and knock the other over, "When did you become such a pansy, huh?"

"You know, when you go Black, you're a real bastard!" Kyo shot back.

"Oh, yeah? Just for that, when I'm done with you-" Haru smirked. "-I'm gonna take your little girlfriend…Zakura."

"What the-? You're gonna what? !" Kyo asked incredulously, ignoring most of what Haru had said.

"Oh, you know. I'm gonna do a little of _this_, and a little of _that_, and I'm definitely gonna do _that_!"

-0-

_'Huh?'_ Kyo thought, _'What is he-? This is the same little brat that used to get lost on the way to the bathroom if I didn't take him. And now he thinks he's some kinda...I don't know what. He really is a bastard when he goes Black. Who got him all worked up anyway? …Okay, I guess that was me. So why's he gotta bring Zakura into this? She's not my girlfriend! What's she got to do with anything? And what's he talking about, all this "I'll do this, I'll do that" crap? Whatever is it...' _he glanced at Zakura, her dark purple eyes full of concern… concern for him…

"You're sick!" he growled, looking at Haru again. He pushed off of him and raised his fists. "And if it's a fight you want, you got it! Just bring it on!"

"That's more like it, coward," Haru said. "It's about time you came around!"

-0-

"I wonder what they're talking about…"

"Ladies, this really will take a while," Yuki said covering a cough, "You should head back, if you want."

"Uh, shouldn't we try to stop them?" Tohru asked.

"C'mon! What's the mattah? Hit me!" Haru challenged.

"What fight are you watching? You haven't landed a single punch! You hit me!" Kyo retorted.

"You got it!"

"Let's leave them alone, Miss Honda," Yuki said. "It's best to let them fight it out. It's what they want. Besides..." He flashed her a smiled, "I don't really want to be the one that stands between them. It's a little risky."

"Hey, you know something…" I trailed as I watched the fight between the two cousins, "Kyo seems a lot more lively when he's fighting Haru."

"You pansy!" Haru said, flinging off his coat. "What kind of girly punch is that? I didn't even feel it!"

Kyo landed a punch, sending Haru flying back, "Don't get cocky, you brat!" Kyo said, standing over Haru. "Compared to Yuki, you move like a turtle!"

I looked at Yuki, "I think he just complemented you."

"Heh!" Haru laughed. "So what does that make you? You still can't beat Yuki yourself, now can you, loser? And you did all that extra training, too."

Kyo growled angrily.

"You're even worse than a turtle! You're a snail! An amoeba!"

"I am seriously going to murder you!" There was such a murderous intent in his voice that I visibly shivered.

"He's not serious," Yuki said reassuringly.

"But…" I said, "…look at him. I've never seen Kyo fight like this."

"Yes, against Haru, Kyo does seem much stronger," Yuki said. "If you ask me, they're both a couple of fighting fools. They've been studying martial arts since they were-" He started coughing. "Since they were..."

He sighed and fell to his knees, clutching his chest as he doubled over. He was still coughing and gasping, trying desperately to catch his breath.

"Yuki!" Tohru cried, rushing to his side.

Kyo and Haru stopped fighting and rushed over as well.

"Is it an asthma attack?" Haru asked, putting his hands on Yuki's shoulders. "And you have a fever, don't you? You know you're not supposed to overdo it when you're sick!" He put his coat over Yuki. "Just lie here for now." He stood and turned to Kyo. "Go call the main house, and hurry- Huh?" He looked down at Yuki, who had clasped a hand around his ankle.

Yuki looked up at Haru pleadingly, shaking his head before having another coughing fit.

Tohru moved closer, putting her hands on Yuki's back. "Yuki!"

"You don't want the main house, do you?" Haru asked. "Kyo, you don't mind if we finish our fight later, do you?"

"Uh-uh," Kyo replied, a twinge of sadness in his voice.

"We need to get him back to Shigure's somehow," Haru said.

"Damn, I guess this means the race is over, too," Kyo said. "That really bites. I was winning."

"I'd say we could take a cab, but it'd be a real pain if he transformed in the backseat," Haru said.

"But we have to do something," Tohru said, stepping closer to Haru. "We'll do anything!"

Haru smirked, and I didn't like the look of it. "Okay... Maybe there is something we can do. It's lucky for me you're so cute."

"Huh?" she asked, confused.

"I mean, if I'm going to do it, it should be with someone cute, right?"

"Do what?"

Tohru still looked confused. Haru chuckled evilly and then wrapped his arms around her.

She stood there, frozen. Hatsuharu disappeared in a puff of smoke and a cow took his place.

"Hold on to the back of my neck so I don't change back. It'll be easier on Yuki if we carry him like this."

We all stared at him, jaws slack.

-0-

Shigure chuckled as if he were going to burst into laughter any second. "So you came all the way here looking like that, did you?"

Haru chomped onto Shigure's sleeve.

"It's not funny," Kyo grounded out.

"It was a little funny." I admitted. It was funny carrying Yuki on the back of a cow and every other block, little kids wanted to ride on the cow as well.

Haru carried Yuki to his room and then Shigure put him in his bed.

"There," Shigure said as he sat down on the end of Yuki's bed, we'll let him sleep for a while…looks like it was just a mild attack. He still has a slight fever, but he'll be alright."

"Thank goodness," Tohru sighed with relief.

"Sorry for the scare, girls," Shigure said. "But it's really okay. You can go back to school now, if you want."

"Oh, no we can't," Tohru said, "School is important, but there'd be no way we could focus knowing that Yuki's here sick. I think one day won't hurt us. I do feel a little responsible."

Haru looked at her.

"I should've done more to make him stay home today. His cold might not have gotten this bad."

"I'll tell you what," Shigure said, standing. "I'll go to the schools and get your things for you."

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"No, really, it's not trouble at all," he reassured with a smile.

"Okay," Tohru said.

"In the meantime," he said, turning to Kyo, "Kyo, why don't you call Hatori?"

"Huh?" Kyo asked, turning around. "Why do I gotta do it?"

"Watch yourself, though," Shigure continued. "Hatori's a bit overworked these days, so he's probably not in the best of moods. Seems practically the entire family has come down with the flu." Sucks for him since he's the only Sohma doctor.

We were all silenced by a puff of smoke, and the twp of us quickly spun around.

"I'll call him," Haru said walking out of the room naked, as if it wasn't a bother, "Where's the phone again?"

"Dammit! Put some clothes on, first!" Kyo growled following Haru out the room.

"Well, I'm off," Shigure said, going down the stairs. "Take good care of Yuki while I'm gone."

"Thank you, Shigure!" Tohru bowed, "It's very nice of him to do this. He can be so selfless sometimes…Always thinking of others..."

I put my hand on my chin in thought, "Hm…Why would Shigure volunteer to go get our stuff so suddenly though…?"

(Shigure's little world)

_High school girls!_ _High school girls! All for me! High school girls!_

[Downstairs]

"Hold it right there!"

I went down the stairs to get Yuki an ice pack for his fever when I found Kyo holding Haru in a headlock.

"You think you can pick a fight and then just walk away whenever you feel like it! Huh? Just 'cause you changed back to White Haru doesn't mean you get-"

"So..."

Kyo stopped and stood up, still holding Haru around the neck.

"You're not Black Haru anymore?"

"Uh...no."

"I'm sorry. It's just; you seem like a completely different person."

"How's Yuki?" he asked.

"He's still sleeping. I was going to get him an ice pack. Tohru's with him though…"

"Don't attack him while he's passed out, Kyo," Haru said.

"Shut up!" Kyo shouted back. "What good does it do me if I beat him with a cheap trick like that? The day I knock that damn rat on his tail, it's going to be fair and square!" He grunted and headed for the front door. "Hell with it. I'm going back to school."

"Never seen someone so eager to go back to school." I mused walking into the kitchen to grab the ice pack.

"Yuki and Kyo," Haru started as he joined me in the kitchen, "Do they still get in fist fights every day?"

"Not really anymore, but they argue just about every time they see each other."

"Huh," Haru mumbled leaning against the counter next to me, "Well, that means they're getting along a little better, at least... It wasn't long ago that the idea would've seemed pretty hopeless. But I can tell they've both changed since then. There used to be so much tension between them, if they were in the same room, you could feel it in the air. Things seem to be much more relaxed now…It could be because you three are here."

I held back a blush, "No, I doubt we've made that much of a difference." I closed up the ice pack and headed upstairs.

"Especially Yuki. He was my first love, after all."

I nearly dropped that ice pack, but quickly regained my composure, _'What the hell? How can he say it so calmly?'_

"Nothing against Kyo," he continued as if nothing had happened. "Yuki is just very special to me. Although, when we were kids, I couldn't stand him. I hated his guts."

"Why?"

"Because he's the Rat."

I felt a little confused.

"It's in the old story, right? How the Rat rode all the way to the banquet on the back of the Cow? I used to hate that story when I was a little kid. The Cow..." he said, taking the ice pack from me, "The Cow was a stupid fool, letting the Rat use him like that. That's what all the adults used to tell me, anyway."

I frowned deeply, _'How could adults say that to a little kid? I'm beginning to realize that most Sohma's curse by the Zodiac had more troubled lives than most at such a young age…'_

"I know they were probably half-joking when they said it. Still, I couldn't help but feel I was the one they were laughing at, calling stupid."

I could hear the anger and sadness in his voice as he thought back.

"And after hearing it over and over, I had so much anger towards the Rat bottled up inside that I couldn't contain it. I started losing my temper over the tiniest things. I guess that's when my Black personality first began to appear. It got to be too much for my parents to handle, so they had me take martial arts lessons, hoping it would give me a way to vent. It really didn't help, like they thought it would," Haru continued. He slid open the door to Yuki's room.

Tohru was sitting on the edge of his bed.

He lowered his voice. "I enjoyed the training itself, but even there, it still felt like I was getting laughed at a lot." He glanced at Yuki. "Then one day, I happened to bump into Yuki. The truth is, up until then, I'd never even said a word to him. The only time we'd seen each other was at New Year's. But that day, seeing him sitting there, all of my anger began to swell up at once. I exploded. After that, I began to lose my temper less and less. Yuki had finally allowed me to vent the anger that had filled me up for so long. It felt as though my heart had suddenly been set free. I was completely surprised. In every possible way, Yuki was different from the person I'd imagined him to be." Haru puts the ice pack under Yuki's head, "It's true. Until that point, it had never occurred to me he could be anything other than the 'mean rat.' And to think... If I hadn't met him that day, the 'mean rat' is probably all I'd still see. Even now. Then I would really be a fool."

"That's a wonderful story," Tohru smiled.

"I was surprised today, too... Seeing Yuki standing next to you-" He looked at Tohru. "-with that little smile on his face." Tohru startled a little. "That was a first for me. He never smiled like that when he lived at the main house. That's why I was thinking; maybe it's your influence -especially yours, Tohru- that's helped him to soften up a bit."

"Oh, no, that can't be!" Tohru protested waving her arms frantically, "I'm sure it's something else! I mean, I don't know what I could've done that would be so great! But if you look at Zakura or-"

"I'll prove it to you." Haru moved closer and whispered something in her ear. Her back stiffened and I laughed a little.

Yuki woke up a few moments later. He looked up at them, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Uh...Miss Honda? Miss Kojima?"

"Hi," Tohru said, kneeling down next to his bed. "Welcome back."

He sat up suddenly, "That's right, I was- I hope I wasn't any trouble."

"No, it wasn't any trouble." She leaned forward and gently rested a hand on his knee.

"But how did I get here?"

"Hatsuharu transformed and carried you on his back," I answered.

Yuki looked at Haru in surprise. "Well...thank you. It must've been quite a sight."

"N-no, I didn't mind at all," Haru said. "You were asleep by the time we got home. And since then, I was telling Tohru and Zakura the story about why I like you."

"What, is that the only thing you could think to talk about?" Yuki asked, sounding a little annoyed. "I hope you didn't bore them with too many details."

"They seemed interested..."

Yuki let out a small aggravated sigh.

"It's okay," Tohru blushed, "It was a very nice story...Prince Yuki."

"Well, don't pay any attention to Haru. He-" Then Yuki, suddenly realizing what Tohru had called him, gasped. He blushed like crazy before bursting into a puff of pink smoke, his little rat form landing on the bed.

Tohru clapped her hand over her mouth, and I stifled my laughter.

"See? It doesn't work at all when I say it!" Tohru cried.

Haru just smiled at her.

_…And so despite a few bumps along the way, we all managed to not finish the endurance run, but it was worth it to meet a new Sohma member after such a long while. Unfortunately by the end of the evening everyone had come down with colds. Kyo and Shigure barely made it home when they suddenly transformed, thankfully Hatori was on his way to the house to get Hatsuharu._

"That's what happens when you sit out in the cold air for hours playing Old Maid." Haru told the sickly cat and dog.

"Did you at least get our stuff?" I asked Shigure who only whimpered in replied.


	10. Happy Valentine's Day?

Would it be appropraite to post this chapter on the actual holiday or will I get murdered fo rdelaying it that long? Probably the latter. Right, so I **finally** updated my Dnangel story and now I can update this one. Next is my Naruto Shippuden, since its been awhile since the 2 chapter. Sorry for the constant delay everyone. I'm working two -almost three jobs now and its time consuming. Needs that money! Times is hard!

Anyway, thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! Please enjoy!

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Chapter<p>

10: Happy Valentine's Day!

Uo opened Yuki's locker and looked inside. "What the hell?"

There's only one," Hana said disappointed, taking out a bag of chocolate out of his locker.

"Weird," I crossed my arms, "I thought for sure Yuki's locker would've been the best place to try it."

"Try for what, exactly?" Yuki asked, sounding very confused.

"You know that thing in the cartoons. When you open the door and all the stuff comes pouring out?"

"So why do you think that would happen here?" He asked us.

"Ah, now I get it. The girls who visited this locker were all cuckoo chicks." Hana observed.

"Cuckoo?"

"Cuckoo chicks push other birds' eggs out of the nest; these girls threw out any chocolates that were already here to ensure that their chocolates would get more attention. The proof is in that garbage can over there." She pointed to the near by garbage full of chocolates.

"Wow! That's a lot of chocolate!"

"Damn, they messed up our locker trick," Uo cursed.

"And I am the hawk who swoops down to catch the eggs pushed from the nest," Hana started to unwrap the chocolate.

"Alright, you go, girl."

"But, that belongs to Yuki."

"It could be poisoned."

"No, that's alright," Yuki said tiredly, as if just thinking about all of this exhausted him.

-0-

The first thing we saw when we entered the classroom were the Prince Yuki Fan Club girls. They looked even scarier than they usually did with their evil-looking grins and determined glints in their eyes.

"Lovely Prince Yuki..."

"Lovely chocolates..."

"Chocolates for Prince Yuki..."

"Wow, those fan club girls look scary today."

"Yeah, they're either about to mug him or eat him, I can't tell which," Uo said.

We both laughed.

Tohru and I had figured that Valentine's was a stressful day for members of the Zodiac, with so many girls trying to give them presents and candy and all. I'm more worried about Momiji on Valentine's Day, with girls giving him chocolate; he might get excited and accidently hug a girl.

"Oh yeah!" Tohru produced three colorful boxes of chocolate and gave them to Uo, Hana, and me, "These are for all of you."

We gratefully accepted them. Between the four of us, we didn't care if we were only supposed to give chocolates to boys; we gave chocolates to each other…even though Uo stills owe us for last year.

"Kyo-Kyo..." We looked over to see a girl holding out a present for Kyo, "Here, I got you some chocolates."

"Kyo's got an admirer," I sang.

"How about that?" Uo chuckled, "Kyo-Kyo's a stud."

Kyo looked at the girl, fear suddenly filling his eyes. "Wait...is today...Valentine's-I'm going home!" He decided suddenly as he stood up from his seat abruptly.

"Eh?"

"No, wait. Home's dangerous, too." Everyone looked at him curiously…Yuki looked at him boredly. "A journey... Yeah, I'll just...go far away where no one will find me!" And with that, he tore out of the room, leaving a trail of dust.

The five of us went to the window to see where he was going. He ran down the front path toward the gate, but screeched to a stop before he reached it.

I opened up the window and saw that a certain someone had come back for Valentine's Day.

"K-Kyo?" she said softly, as if in disbelief that he was standing in front of her.

Kyo tried to turn and run, but it was he was moving in slow-motion.

"Kyo!" Kagura sang twirling around in her own imaginary world, of glitter and flowers.

Kyo continue to turn his body in slow motion, hoping to run away before she got any closer; however time resumed to its normal pace when Kagura howled his name, "Kyo!"

She charged after him. "Kyo! MY LOVE!" she shouted in her demon voice.

"Aw, hell! She's here!" Kyo yelled as she ran after him.

-0-

Kagura followed us home from school, despite Kyo's efforts to lose her. It wasn't like she didn't know where he lived.

"I came for Valentine's, silly," she said when we were back at the house, seated around the table. "It's an important day for lovers to be together."

"You're not gonna find any lover in this house," Kyo muttered.

I stifled my laughter.

"Kyo, behave please," Shigure said dryly, "I don't want the house getting, you know, smashed."

"Dammit!" Kyo cursed, "I should've left on that journey sooner. How was I supposed to know today was Valentine's?"

"It's called a calendar," Yuki answered in a tired tone.

"So," Shigure said, looking at Kagura, "did you give him chocolates?"

"Well...I tried," she said meekly. "But for some reason, he wouldn't take them from me. Watch." She pulled a big chocolate heart out of her bag. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kyo!" she cried happily. "A chocolate heart stuffed full of my love! All for you!"

"Keep it!" Kyo shot back, standing. "What man in his right mind would eat that girly, sugary crap?"

_'Oh…'_ I thought to myself a little disappointed. Before school today I had went out and bought chocolates for everyone along with Tohru. _'I guess I should've thought it out more and asked if any of them liked chocolates…'_

"I'm sorry, but...do you... Do you really not like chocolate, Kyo?" Tohru asked coming back into the room with a brown bag filled with out chocolates.

"No! I hate it!"

Kagura jumped up in his face. "Shut up and eat it!" she threatened. "Did you hear me? ! I said eat, damn you!"

"No means no, woman!"

"Eat it!"

"No!"

"EAT IT!"

"You'll have to kill me first!"

Shigure looked at us as Kyo and Kagura's fight went on. "Excuse me, girls, but that wouldn't happen to be a bag of chocolates you're hiding down there?"

Kagura and Kyo froze, Kagura trying to shove her chocolate heart into Kyo's mouth.

"Oh, um, yes," Tohru said, setting the bag that had been sitting in front of us on the table. "We got chocolates for everyone."

"But I guess we should've asked if everyone liked chocolates first." I glanced at Kyo.

Kyo stayed on the floor on his stomach, a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"Ladies," Yuki interrupted, gaining our attention, "I would love some chocolate."

Tohru smiled widely and produced a box for him. "These one's yours."

"Thank you very much," Yuki replied, smiling taking two boxes from her.

"And two for Shigure," I said, handing it to him.

"Oh, for me?"

"It's not much, but thanks for everything you've done for us," I said.

"Oh, no, no," Shigure said almost crying, "I should be the one thanking you girls. Still, I'm touched! The girls' Valentine's chocolates- how they warm the heart and lift the soul!"

"Oh, and Kagura," I said, digging through the bag. "There's one for you, too."

She gasped and jumped up. "One for me?" she cried in happy disbelief. She threw her arms around me. "Thank you!"

"And there's some for Momiji and Hatori and Haru," Tohru said, setting them out on the table. "We didn't know if we'd see them today, but if there were some way we could get them to them..."

"You really did mean everyone, didn't you?" Yuki asked incredulously.

"Of course!" I glanced at Kyo again, "But I guess we should've asked to see if they even like chocolate..."

"Oh, don't let what Kyo said bother you," Shigure said. "He thinks he's being manly, but, really, he doesn't have a clue what true manliness is. A real man would've eaten the chocolates with all of this fuss."

"Shut up..." Kyo mutter.

"To refuse a gift," Shigure continued, "…to trample on another person's heart like that... It falls short of being a human being, let alone a man."

"Uh...no, really," I said. "We should've known to get something besides chocolate."

Kyo grunted and we all looked at him. "Fine, I just gotta eat it?" He stood and grabbed Kagura's chocolate heart. "So, I'll eat it!" He started downing that thing like his life depended on it.

"Goody!" Kagura cheered a huge smile on her face. "Look! Kyo's eating my chocolate!"

"Um, are you alright?" I asked Kyo.

When Kyo was done devouring the heart, he held his hand out to me.

I looked at the chocolate around his mouth and the little blush on his cheeks. I couldn't help but smile and place the chocolates I bought for him in his awaiting hand. Giggling, I pointed to the side of my mouth and wiped with my sleeve. Realizing what I meant, he wiped the chocolate from around his mouth with the back of his hand.

-0-

(And this part from the manga! Just a little bonus)

"Don't worry," Kagura said to Kyo, standing out on the porch, holding one of his hands in both of hers. "I'll see you soon."

Kyo snatched his hand back. "Who's worried?" he snapped.

She smiled at him. "You know, Haru said that you and Yuki are starting to get along a little better. He said if you two keep getting to know each other, you might actually become friends one day."

Kyo stared at her in shock.

She smiled and looked at the ground. "I would be very happy...if that came true." She smiled and him again and laughed a little. "Bye-bye!"

Kyo stood there for a moment, staring at the space where she had been. _'Me and that damn rat? Friends? Like hell we would be!'_

"Ah, Haru..." Shigure mused. "He is certainly wise beyond his years. People must learn to compromise."

_'What's he talking about?'_ I hid behind a divider, barely peeking out, listening.

Kyo was silent for a moment, staring outside the door. "What are you trying to say?" he asked, not looking at Shigure. "Don't even think that we're gonna be best friends just 'cause you guys have some dumb ideas." He laughed once, no humor in the sound, turning to look at Shigure. "'Get to know each other'? What a load of crap! It sucks hanging out with him all the time! I hate Yuki!" He was shouting now. "And I like hating him!"

Silence for a moment.

Shigure smiled a little. "I wonder why? You say it like you're obligated to hate him."

Kyo glanced at him, then looked away.

"But your eyes...your eyes tell a different story. They tell me...that you're afraid to find out."

Fear and shock filled Kyo's eyes. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides, and ran out of the house.

"Kyo?" He was gone. "Kyo!" I ran after him.

-0-

I shivered and folded my arms over my chest as I walked further into the forest.

"Kyo?" I called, not raising my voice to its highest volume. "Where are you?"

_'Kyo... He really did look scared. I wonder what Shigure said made him look so afraid._

_"I like hating him!" I don't understand it. I don't understand it at all.'_

I stopped when I spotted a clearing...and a familiar orange head wearing a red thin short sleeved top crouching down in that clearing.

I walked closer, dead leaves rustling beneath my shoes. I stopped just behind him.

His arms were wrapped around himself. It was as if he protecting himself…

"Kyo?" I asked quietly.

He didn't look up at me. He didn't even move a muscle. I've never seen him so…vulnerable...broken…

"Forget it."

I looked at him as he spoke.

"What happened back there…just forget it. It has nothing to do with you. Leave me alone, alright?"

I let out a small sigh. _'You would want that, wouldn't you? To leave you alone to face your inner monsters by yourself…I bet you had to do that for a long time…you had no one to confine in…no one to lend you a shoulder…not me, Kyo…I'm not going to let you shoulder all your problems anymore. I want you to confine in me. It's not pity or sympathy…I want to be there with you…'_

I knelt down next to him, trying to see his face. But his forehead was almost touching his knees. _'I know that no matter what I say, I won't be able to fix it. I may not even be able to cheer him up, but...'_ "You... You don't _have_ to like each other. You don't have to get along. It's okay. I do want you two to get along, but...but if you don't want to…its okay. We won't force you. If you hate him that much, then it's okay…"

He raised his head a little, but he was still looking down. His cheeks flushed, but I assumed it was because of the cold.

He closed his eyes and nodded a little. "Yeah...Yeah."

_'Kyo's heart is so delicate…it's as though it will break if I touch it. I don't want that to happen. I want to help, but I don't want to cause more pain than there was before I came along. I'll try to hold it in my hands as gently as I can….I'll try not to cross the line between help and hindrance…but they hold onto all their suffering, pain, and anxiety...just like I used to. Maybe I still do, sometimes, except now it's all muddled in with everyone else's…' _I gently, hesitantly put my hand on Kyo's, _'Just as Tohru was there for me in my time of need; I want to be there for you when you need me…'_

He looked up at me. I could see surprise in his eyes, but I saw something else, too. Memories...the past...longing and fear... All of it rolled into one confused, almost grateful expression.

_'I hope, someday, I can help to wipe all the fears away, just like they did for us. Because...I just want them to be happy. They deserve happiness.'_

Kyo looked at me for another long moment, then hung his head and stood up. He stood there for a moment, hands in his pockets, looking off into the forest.

I looked up at him, another frozen breeze blowing past us.

Kyo exhaled, then looked down at me. He took one hand out of his pocket and extended it down to me.

I looked at it for a moment, surprised, and then took it, standing from the cold grass.

His hand was warm from being in his pocket. I treasured the warm tingling feeling that his hand brought me before he released my hand and we started back toward the house.

_'I'll try hard giving you happiness…I'll give you all of my support to show you that I'm a friend.'_

I gently tugged his hand out of his pocket and took his hand in mine.

I could feel his muscles tense by the sudden gentle contact, but he didn't pull away. He loosely held my hand. A few moments into our walk back, Kyo eventually tightened his grip on my hand.

-0-

"Welcome home," Shigure said when we walked through the door. "You didn't do anything...untoward to our dear Zakura, did you?"

"Of course not!" Kyo shouted, glaring at Shigure. "I'm not like you!"

_Kyo and Yuki don't have to like each other. If they like hating each other, that's fine with me. Maybe, over time, that can change. All I can do is hope and do my best._

And just like that, Valentine's Day came and went. Actually, so did the whole next month! And before we knew it, we'd finished our final exams! Thank goodness!

"Well, ladies, how did it go?" Yuki asked coming over to Tohru's desk.

"Great!" Tohru exclaimed happily, "I knew a lot more of the answers than I thought I would! Thank you so much for helping me study!"

He smiled shyly at her, a little embarrassed by the praise, "Oh, I... I don't know about that..."

Some of the guys thought that Hana had aced her tests, since she was psychic, but she brushed off their comments, saying she had to take remedial lessons and that her parents cried for days.

This was followed by several moments of stunned, awkward, unsure silence.

"Don't get too down on yourself," Uo comforted her gloomy friend, "I'll bet there's an even bigger dummy around here somewhere."

"Hey!"

We all looked at Kyo.

"You sure as hell better not be talking about me."

"What? Who else would she be talking about?"

"Oh, yeah? Well no one's ever had to call my parents to tell 'em my grades sucked!" Kyo snapped.

"Aw, does Kyo-Kyo study like a good little boy?" one of the guys asked.

"Don't call me Kyo-Kyo!"

"Please, you couldn't study to save your life."

"You are so full of it!" Kyo shouted at Uo.

Uo continued to tease him, "Uh-huh. Let me guess, you're the kinda guy who crams at the last minute. Then you get to school and freak out 'cause you studied for the wrong test."

"Okay, that does it...!"

"He has been shutting himself up in his room," I said. "Maybe he really has been studying."

"So it would seem," Yuki said, clearly not believing that Kyo had actually studied.

"Out in the hall, right now!"

"I'll grind you into dust, Orange-top!"

_'I believe that Kyo can study if he wanted to…'_ I pictured Kyo sitting at his desk with his notebooks and text books, studying hard under his desk lamp.

"Uh, Miss Honda? Miss Kojima?" our teacher asked. "A word please?"

We were a little nervous when the teacher called us out into the hall. The last time that happened was when they told us about the accident Tohru's mom was in.

"Y-yes, sir."

Thankfully teacher simply told us that Tohru hadn't paid this month's dues towards the school trip and I was told mom didn't pay my tuition debt…again. We instantly bowed our heads and apologized for the trouble we caused and he simply brushed aside our apologizes, kindly asking us to fix the problems as soon as possible.

"Is something wrong?" Yuki asked when we came back in.

"Uh...no...not at all," Tohru lied shyly poking her index fingers together.

"We just...have to work hard!" I declared with determination, clenching my fists, "Part-time job, here we come!"

They looked at us unsurely, but they didn't press the matter.

-0-

I worked triple time later that evening. I laid out fabrics, patterns, sewing material, and everything else I would need. "Yosh! Time to get to work!" I rolled up my sleeves, tied my hair into a high pony-tail and got to work.

"Ah, Zakura! Welcome back!" Ayame exclaimed, bursting into my work room, "Have you finished those dreadful exams?"

"Yeah, I can finally get back to work on finishing these costumes!" I frantically cut all the fabric quickly and efficiently, "I'm going to finish 15 costumes today and at least 12 wigs to make up for lost time!" I grabbed the pieces of fabric and ran over to my sewing machine.

"Very good! Be sure to finish post haste!" He laughed before prancing out the door.

-0- few hours later -0-

For the first time in a while Tohru and I walked home together, completely exhausted. We burned all of our energy at work. All I want now is something to eat, bathe, and go to bed. I wasn't even in the mood to watch Yuki and Kyo fight.

Tohru reached the front door first and laid her head against it.

"Tohru! Zakura!" A familiar little blonde exclaimed, opening the front door.

"Ah!" we yelped and jumped. "Momiji!"

"I just got here, too!" He grabbed our hand. "Come on, come on! This way! This way!"

"Where does that boy get all of his energy?" Shigure wondered aloud.

"This is my first time to Shigure's house. Isn't it exciting?"

Yuki looked up as we walked in.

"Hello there!" Momiji sang, bright and cheery.

"Hey, we're home from work," Tohru greeted a little tired.

"Welcome back," Yuki said with a smile.

"Great," Kyo groaned, standing in the doorway, drying his hair with a towel. "The annoying little brat's here."

"Ah, someone just got out of the bath!" Momiji said. "Kyo!"

Kyo grabbed Momiji and started digging his fist into the side of his head. "I swear! It bugs me every time you open your mouth!"

"Wahhhh!" Momiji cried. "Kyo's picking on meeee!"

"Momiji, we got you a snack, if you're hungry," I said coming out of the kitchen with a small tray with a slice of cake and orange juice.

He smiled widely. "Oh, I am! Thank you!"

"You see?" Kyo said, pulling Momiji back into his grip. "Like I said! Everytime!"

"Waaahhhh!"

"Kyo..." I said quietly.

-0-

We sat down at the table, Momiji eating his snack. I felt ready to pass out after a long shift at work, but I figured that would be impolite when there was a guest over.

"Momiji?" Shigure asked as Momiji finished swallowing a bite. "Have you told us to what we owe the pleasure of your company this evening?"

"Mm-mm," Momiji said, shaking his head. "Not yet." He turned to us. "I have a question for you two!"

"Yes?"

"What's tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow..."

"March 14th, right?"

"Yep!" Momiji said. "It's White Day! And I'm giving you a present! It's a trip to a hot spring!"

We smiled nervously.

"I call it, 'Me and Tohru's and Zakura's Super-Relaxing Hot Spring Steam Trip'!"

"You really don't have to name it," Shigure said, smiling, a little unsure.

"A hot spring?" Yuki asked curiously, "Which one?"

"Oh, you know, there's that one the Sohma's run."

"Oh, yes," Yuki said.

"Um…" Tohru stuttered to say, "We don't know…an invitation to an expensive-sounding place like a hot spring? It really is too much."

"You know, girls, it's just a hot spring. He's not flying you off toParisor anything. It would be a real shame to turn it down. You should go. It'll be a good chance to get away from it all, relax." Shigure said to us.

"I'm sorry," Momiji apologized, placing a comforting hand on Tohru's, "I thought you'd be happy to go..."

"Oh, no, we are," I assured him, "In fact, we'd love to go, Momiji. We could use a break."

"Yay!" he cheered. "Yuki and Kyo are coming too!"

"Hey! Why don't you try asking before you start making plans for people?" Kyo snapped.

"Aw!" Momiji whined, tugging on Kyo's shirt. "Go with us! Go with us!"

"Forget it! And whining like that isn't gonna change my mind!"

"Yuki..." Momiji said carefully. "Will you come?"

Yuki smiled at him. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

"Yay! Yay!" Momiji cheered again.

"Okay, now I really don't wanna go."

"Why not? You don't have to worry about money. I've been saving my allowance!"

"That's not the problem," Kyo grumbled.

Shigure suddenly looked up, as if he'd just remembered something. "Oh, speaking of money...I hear you still haven't paid last months dues toward your class field trip fund, girls…" Tohru and I flinched when our little secret was revealed. "I got a call from your grandfather, Tohru. Seems someone at the school called him about it and he said he'd pay for you all, if you need it. You as well, Zakura."

"No, no, no!" She cried. "I can't ask him to do that!"

"It would be too much trouble!" I added, "Last month there was just a lot going on, but we can catch up with the money we earn this month."

"We're sorry you had to hear about it," Tohru apologized, embarrassed.

"But, girls," Shigure said. "You worked a pretty fair amount last month. Wha-"

Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure froze for a moment. There was a tense moment of silence before Momiji struck up a conversation with us.

"So you're going on a class trip? Where to?"

"Oh, we don't know yet."

"Wha-!" Kyo began to yell before slapping his hands on the table.

Tohru and I flinched when he suddenly raised his voice at us and we mentally braced ourselves and waited for him to explode at us.

Surprisingly though, he slowly began to lose the red in his face before he slowly turned back to his normal skin tone. With a tight grin he pointed to the hall door that led upstairs, "Water. Hot bath. You go."

"You mean the two of us?" I hesitantly asked, not wanting to set off his temper.

"Just go!" Kyo snapped.

"Right!" Tohru and I cried as we scrambled out the door to escape Kyo's wrath.

(And now words of wisdom from our rabbit sponsor – Momiji)

"Impressive. You're learning self-control. But at any rate... Chocolate doesn't exactly fall from the sky. The girls had to have paid for it out of their own pockets."

"So how is it we didn't realize that at the time?" Yuki asked.

Kyo banged his fist against the table. "It's 'cause they were so damn happy about it! How could we know they were broke? They didn't _have_ to get that stuff for us!" Momiji just sat silently, quietly chewing on his snack. "But, hey, they thought it'd be fun to spend all their money! They could've bought themselves new clothes or paid for their class trip, or somethin'!" He ranted, "Talk about _stupid_! I mean, what were they thinking? All they're doing is making things harder on themselves!"

"Oh, hey, you know what? There's this kid in my class who reads a lot," Momiji said randomly causing them to look at him oddly.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, so, he just got this new book and he brought it with him yesterday. It was called 'A Guide to the World's Greatest Fools'. He's always bringing funny books like that. This one time, he brought one called 'The Universe of Stew'."

"...Did you have a point in there somewhere?" Yuki asked.

"Oh, right," Momiji giggled, "So anyway, a bunch of us sat down and read this book together. There was this one story in it, I remember. It was called 'The Most Foolish Traveler in the World.'…"

(Get comfortable kiddies, its story time!)

_"You see, once upon a time, there was this foolish traveler who had gone on a journey. Why was he foolish? Well, because he was fooled by everyone he met! Everywhere he went, people made up all kinds of sad stories to tell him, and the traveler fell for every one of them. Pretty soon, his money, his clothes, even his shoes had been cheated away from him. But the foolish traveler was always glad to help. And he always told people the same thing. He said, 'I wish you happiness.' "But by this point, though, the traveler was completely naked, and with nothing left to cover himself, he left the main road and traveled through the dense forest, where no one could see him. But soon he was discovered by the goblins that lived in the woods. They wanted to eat the traveler's body, so they begged and pleaded, and they used kind words to try and trick him. Of course, the traveler was fooled. "First he let the goblins eat one of his legs…then an arm…then more and more. Before it was over, all that the traveler had left was his head. He'd even given his eyes away to the last of the goblins. And as that last goblin was eating the traveler's eyes, he said, 'Thank you, traveler…in return, I give you this present.' What the goblin left was a slip of paper with the word 'fool' written on it…The traveler couldn't see it. He didn't know what it was. Even so, tears began to flow down his face. 'Thank you,' he said. 'This is the first present anyone has ever given me. I'm so happy. I'm so happy. Thank you.'_

_"Even without his eyes, he cried and cried, great tears of joy. Then the traveler died with the smile still on his face."_

**(*sniff* Story touched my heart when I first read the story in the manga, really did change my outlook on life.)**

Yuki, Shigure, and Kyo stared at Momiji as he finished the story. "Right after we heard that yesterday, all of the other kids in my class started making fun of the traveler. But while they did that, I closed my eyes and thought about him a little bit longer. I thought about how he had given everything away, until all he had left was his head and how at the end, he still cried for joy as he said thank you. And I realized...I feel so sorry for him."

Yuki and Kyo were lost in their own thoughts, but they were beginning to understand what Momiji was feeling as he told the story.

"Loss, hardship, things like that? You can't only focus on them. The traveler didn't. He never thought about his own troubles at all."

They thought about the two girls upstairs.

"I imagine that it probably does sound really foolish to some people. But not to me. I don't think he's foolish at all. Even though other people probably think he was being tricked? I don't think he was. I think he did exactly what he wanted to do. I think, more than anything, he just wanted to make other people happy." He looked at Kyo and Yuki. "What about you, Yuki? Kyo? What do you think?" He questioned, "Really? Is that foolish? When you close your eyes and think about it, is that what it is?"

Yuki and Kyo both thought of Tohru and Zakura.

_It's not foolish to want to make other people happy even if it makes life harder on yourself. It's not foolish…not at all…_

-0-

The next morning, I went outside to hang some laundry out to dry while Tohru was in the kitchen making breakfast. It was such a nice morning out that I didn't mind at all.

"I'm going for you."

I was startled when I saw Kyo leaning against the laundry pole, "O-oh, good morning. How'd you sleep?"

"The hot spring?" He reminded me, "I'm going. For _you_."

I had to blink hard at least twice to confirm that this wasn't a dream.

"I didn't get you anything for White Day. So instead, I'll put up with that damn Yuki and I'll go to the hot spring for you." He gruffly explained.

"F-for me?" My heart rate picked up a bit. Kyo was doing something sweet…for me…!

His cheeks flushed a little, "Maybe you don't care either way...you know, whether I go or not...but..." His face was even redder now.

I smiled widely and moved closer.

He looked at me, surprised by the sudden decrease in distance between us.

"No, no! That's awesome! It'll be much more fun if you're there, too! I'm so happy right now!" Words of gratitude were tumbling out of my mouth. I couldn't find any other way to show how much it means to me that he's going, "Thank you so much! I'm so happy! Thank you!"

He looked at me for a moment. "You know, y-" Then I saw something that I hadn't seen in a long while, Kyo smiling. The small at ease one that reached all the way up to his beautiful red eyes. "You really are somethin'...you know that?"

I felt my face get very hot as I looked at him, _'I'm something...?'_

"Kyo's got the hots this morning!" Momiji sang, coming up behind Kyo.

"I do not!" he yelled at Momiji.

Momiji giggled. "He's got the hots!"

"Shut up!" He dug his fists on the sides of Momiji's head.

"Waahhhh!"

_'This is going to be so fun! Our first trip to a hot spring!'_


	11. Super Relaxing HotSpring Steamed Trip!

Another one of my favorite episodes. Yay. Alrighty, first, I would like to thank those who helped contribute to this chapter: 88dragon06, AliceMarieSwan, and Princesa de la Luna. You three are awesome! Thanks so much! This chapter for all of you! (Hope it doesn't disappoint.)

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Super Relaxing Hotspring Steamed Trip!<p>

"Look! A mountain!" Momiji exclaimed looking out the bus window.

"Uh-huh."

"And a river!"

"Uh-huh."

"And a field!"

"Uh-huh..."

Momiji has an interesting short attention span.

"It's such a beautiful day!" Momiji jumped back over to his seat, "Right, Yuki? Right, Kyo?"

"I guess," they said in unison, which caused them to turn and glare at each other.

"So why are you guys being so quiet?" Momiji asked them, "You're not sad you came, are you?"

"We hope not," Tohru said, "Especially sine you only came to keep us company."

"Though I do hope we're not taking you away from anything important," I added.

"Ah, forget about it," Kyo said, waving off my concern, "I only came because there wasn't anything better to do at home."

"And I haven't been to the hot spring in a long time. I was happy to come along," Yuki said.

"Oh, I get it!" Momiji said, standing up again, "You were just thinking how nice it's gonna be once we get there, right?"

"Mm-hmm," We agreed.

"Then it's settled! Once we get there, we're all gonna try to have as much fun as we can!" He exclaimed throwing his arms in the air in excitement.

"I'm sure that won't be hard to do," I said.

"It's like we're princesses in a fairy tale," Tohru smiled

Momiji smiled widely. "Yeah! You two can be the princesses and I'll be the prince!"

"Ah, give me a break," Kyo said, running his hand through his hair. "It's just a hot spring. It's nothin' you gotta get all worked up over."

"I think it's just ahead," Yuki said, leaning forward in his seat a little to look out the window.

Just as he said we soon pulled up to the Sohma Hot Spring resort. When it came to a stop we soon filed off the bus and stood in front of the bath house while the driver unloaded our bags.

"Wow, it's beautiful," Tohru gushed.

"Yeah," I agreed, "We're not even inside yet and I already feel relaxed."

"Well, come on, Princesses! Your room awaits!" Momiji said.

"Thank you, Momiji," I gave him a pat on his blonde head.

"This is all so wonderful."

"And don't forget, you're the princesses! Ooh! And I'll be your knight!"

"Knock it off, already!" Kyo snapped, destroying our bubbly fantasy.

"Well, then," our driver said, getting back on the bus. "I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow." We picked up our bags and waved after him. "Okay! Thank you!" Momiji called. "Bye-bye!"

We heard the door to the bath house open, and turned to see an old woman on her knees, her eyes dark and sunken into her sullen face, which was framed by dark hair. She groaned. "Thank goodness... I'm so glad you're here..." The woman smiled. She looked like a ghost or something, smiling at the prospect of guests.

"Oh, don't worry," Momiji said. "She's the Hot Spring Lady."

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'hostess'," Yuki supplied.

"Uh...are you okay?" Tohru asked, concerned by the women's paleness.

We yelped when the woman jumped at us, "Pleeeeeease! Let me show you to your roooooommmmm!" she wailed, scaring Tohru and I out of our wits.

-0-

"Guess what!" Momiji said. "The Hot Spring Lady is a Sohma, too! But she gets sick a lot, so she stays here, for the health benefits and all. The Sohma's own this place, you know."

"Really?" Tohru asked, holding Momiji's hand as we followed the hostess to our rooms.

"Just how many things do the Sohma family own?" I wondered out loud.

The lady turned to us and smiled at us more gently, "I do apologize if I startled you."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize to us."

"Just so long as you're feeling okay, that's what's important."

"You girls are too kind to an old woman like me...but thank you," she said. She turned to address all of us. "I'm surprised Young Master Shigure didn't accompany you today. Perhaps he was too busy with work?"

"'Young Master Shigure'?" Kyo asked. "How old are you?"

I lightly smacked his on his arm for being rude.

"Yes, he had deadlines on two books coming up," Yuki explained to the women.

"Well, that's a shame," she said, "You see, you're the only guests we have today. It would've been a fine chance to visit with him."

She led us further down the hallway until she opened the sliding doors to our room.

"Here we are," she stepped aside to allow us all in before coming in herself.

"Wow, it's so big!" Momiji exclaimed, scurrying around the room, touching everything and anything.

"Yes, I made sure we had our best room prepared for you arrival."

"Tohru, Zakura, you've got to look at this garden!" Momiji said, standing over by the doors to the outside.

"I cannot believe how beautiful this all is," I took in the beautiful scenery of the mountains and trees beyond the tall wooden fence.

"It looks like it goes on forever."

"Almost," Momiji said. "See, from that forest over there," He pointed to the tall cluster of trees to the right and moved his finger to the left, "…to that mountain over there -it's all Sohma property!"

Really?" I asked. "It all belongs to your family?"

"Uh-huh! Everything you see!"

"Is there anything your family doesn't own?"

"Maybe we could go for a walk while we're here." Tohru suggested.

"You wouldn't be the first to think so," the hostess said, setting out tea for all of us, "Actually we've even had a few guests go walking who never made it back..."

We stared at her, wide-eyed. _'Never came back?'_

"Tohru, Zakura," Momiji said, giggling. "You were supposed to laugh!"

"Ohh," Tohru chuckled nervously. "It was a joke."

"Yeah, so don't worry, they never lose the guests for too long. There's a professional search party on call at all times!"

"You mean, they have to call in search parties?" I yelped.

"That was a joke too," Momiji said, laughing.

"Oh, right," I sighed, _'A bad joke…'_

"Ladies," the woman said, "I've prepared a room for you adjacent to the young masters' here."

"Thank you," we said.

"Hey!"

We looked at Kyo.

"I hope you don't think I'm stayin' in the same room as that damn Yuki!"

The woman chuckled. "You two get along as poorly as ever, I see. But, please, don't be upset. There are sliding doors to divide the room."

"That's not the point!" Kyo yelled, getting to his feet, "I didn't come here to-"

"The point is," Momiji cuts in, running over and elbowing Kyo in the stomach playfully, "you just want to stay in the same room as Zakura, don't you?"

Both our faces turned bright red.

"How crude."

"Hey! I didn't say that!" Kyo shouted, "So shut up, Momiji! You and your damn mouth!"

"Master Kyo..." He looked over his shoulder at the woman fearfully, "Ahhhh! You should be ashamed of yourself!" she wailed, grabbing his shirt in her hand and shook him, "To think you would even suggest the idea of sharing a room with a young woman! And all this time, even if you are a Cat, I thought you to be a decent young man! Since when have you gotten such lecherous ideas into your head?"

"Hey! Hold on a minute!" Kyo shouted his eyes wide with fear.

"I'm sorry, world!" she screamed. "I must apologize on behalf of this dirty-minded boy! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Okay, fine! I'll stay in the room with Yuki!" Kyo cried, over her.

"Pervert!" Momiji laughed. "Kyo's a pervert!"

"I think she's stronger than she lets on," Yuki said.

-0-

After a few moments, the hostess finally calmed down, "Alright, then, I'll leave you to enjoy yourselves." She quietly shuts the door behind her and continued to her duties.

Kyo threw himself down in a wicker chair and sighed, "Finally, it's quiet."

"There's still time before dinner!" Momiji took out his bath things from his bag, "So let's take a bath, okay?"

"Okay!" I said getting my stuff out too.

"Let's take it together!"

"Okay!" Tohru agreed, willing to let Momiji bathe with us.

Kyo jumped up and knocked Momiji to the ground, sitting on him. "You little- Now who's the pervert?"

"Aww-ww, what'd I do?"

"Oh, it's fine, I mean, he's so little and all..." Tohru tried to explain.

"Little? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Kyooo! I wanna go in with the girls! I wanna! I wanna! I wanna!" Momiji wailed.

Yuki stood and put his hands on Momiji's shoulders. He stopped wailing, and looked at Yuki, "Why don't we give the ladies some time to themselves? After all, the reason we came here was to give them a chance to relax, right?"

Momiji looked at him for a moment, and then smiled a little. "Right, I get it. But tonight, we'll sleep together, okay?"

-0-

"Our first open-air bath," I said, looking out at the steam hovering over the hot water.

Tohru smiled, "It seems like it'd be big enough for someone like Momiji to swim in."

From the other side of the tall fence we could hear Momiji splashing and giggling in the water.

Tohru and I wrapped out towels around ourselves and tied up our hair before slowing getting into the hot water.

"Ah, this feels great." I sunk further into the water, allowing it to come up to my shoulders, "So relaxing…"

Tohru held her mother's picture in a plastic bag and placed it in the water, "How's the water mom? Feels good, right?"

On the boys side of the bath we could hear a loud splash followed by childish giggles. "I'm doing that again!"

"Momiji! Just get in and be quiet."

Momiji held his peace for literally two seconds before we heard his voice closer to the fence, "Zakura, Tohru! How are you doing?"

"You little brat! Didn't I tell you to be quiet?"

"Aw, but they're lonely!"

"How can they be lonely if they're together?"

"Oh, hey!" Momiji called, "I know! Let's sing a song okay? That way, it'll seem like we're all in here together! It'll be a lot of fun, really!"

"A song?" Tohru asked.

"Yeah, yeah! Sing something!"

Tohru looked at the picture of her mom shyly, "We wouldn't know what to sing. I'm afraid we don't know many songs."

"Okay! I'll sing then!" Momiji sang with a light happy tune,

_"Who's in the forest strolling?_

_The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'_

_The frogs in the pond are calling_

_Momiji, yes, it's true!_

_The trees raise their leaves-"_

"What the hell is that?" we heard Kyo ask.

"It's my song! I made it up!" Momiji said proudly.

"So why don't you make up something that isn't so annoying?"

"Just sing it! Girls, you sing, too!" He started to sing again,

_"Who's in the forest strolling?_

_The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'_

"Your turn!"

Tohru and I blushed lightly as we tried to sing Momiji's song as well and in tune as we could,

_"Who's in the forest strolling?_

_The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'"_

Momiji giggled.

_"The frogs in the pond are calling_

_Momiji, yes, it's true!"_

"Why frogs, out of curiosity?" Yuki asked.

"Hey! Knock it off already!" Kyo snapped.

_"The frogs in the pond are calling_

_Momiji, yes, it's true.."_

Kyo groaned. "Ah! This is driving me crazy!"

_"Who's in the forest strolling?_

_The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'_

_The frogs in the pond are calling_

_Momiji, yes, it's true!_

_The trees raise their leaves _together

_'Who needs the sun when we've got you?'_

_Who's in the forest strolling..."_

When we started the song over again, I noticed that Tohru started swaying, almost like she was dizzy. Her face got really red and her eyes turned swirly.

"Uh, Tohru?"

She let out a goofy giggle before falling over in the water.

"Tohru!" I jumped out of my spot, grabbed her arms and pulled her out of the water.

"What happened?" Kyo called.

"She passed out!"

"Hold on, Miss Kojima, we'll go get help!"

From the splashing I could tell they were making their way inside the building. While they did that, I did my best to carry Tohru out of the water and onto the gravel. Thankfully not a moment later, the hostess along with female staff, came and helped carry Tohru to another room where they can help her cool down until the dizziness wears off. I wanted to stay to make sure she was alright but hostess told us that she'd look after her.

-0-

When they were forced out of the room, Yuki returned to the boys' room to relax a bit before dinner. Momiji ran off to who knows where, doing who knows what.

"Only Tohru would pass out in the hot spring." I sighed pulling my hair out of its bun and shook it out, "She had me so worried when she passed out so suddenly. We weren't in there that long…I should've paid more attention…"

"Calm down," Kyo scolded me, softly hitting me on the head, "There's no reason to get worked up about. This kind of thing would happen to Tohru."

I let out a small laugh. Tohru did have the ability to cause trouble, "Yeah, I guess you're right…for once…" I joked stretching my arms above my head, cracking the kinks in my back.

"Hey!" He snapped at me, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing," I waved my hand, "So, anyway, where's the dining hall? I'm starved." I rubbed my stomach as emphasis.

Kyo pointed down the hall from us, "It's down here. Come on," He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down the hall without much effort, "We'll sit here and wait for everyone else."

He lead me to the dinning room and pulled open the sliding door. He allowed me to go in first before sitting down across from me.

We sat in silence for a while. Kyo rested his head on his left hand, a familiar pose he takes when he's bored or thinking. I drew invisible patterns on the table out of boredom.

"Hey…" Kyo said softly, breaking me out of my silent thoughts, "I…uh…got you something…" He trailed off, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks, "…a present…"

His blushing was contagious, I could feel my own cheeks heating up, "You got me a present?"

"Yeah, but it's not all that expensive or anything," He said gruffly, rummaging through his robe, "It's kinda crappy so I get it if you don't want it or anything."

_'Anything Kyo gets me will be worth treasuring.' _"What is it?" I asked excitedly.

He removed his hand from his robe and placed the items on the table. He got me two gifts! A palm sized sewing kit with needles and thread, and a black sweat wristband with the word 'Fight' written in kanji poorly stitched on it. I loved it.

"Did you make this yourself?" I asked him, tenderly picking up the wristband as if it were made of gold.

"Yeah, it's not that big a deal," He said almost shyly, "I know it sucks compare to what you do, but I thought I'd give it a try…" He blushed lightly, "…I bought the sewing kit from a fabric store across town and since you like to sew and make costumes, I thought you would need it."

I slipped the sweatband on my wrist, "It's amazing! Thank you, Kyo! This is the best gift I've ever got!" I grabbed the little sewing kit and held it to my chest, "Really, Kyo! It's really thoughtful of you! I'll use it every day from now on!"

Kyo blushed heavier now, trying to cover it up with his hand, "Alright. You're welcome, already. It's no big deal…"

Our tender moment was soon ruined when the cooking staff bustles in carrying tray among trays of fancy looking sea foods, soups, and vegetables.

The others followed in soon afterwards and I was relieved to see Tohru up and around.

We were all wearing light blue robes, the tie around the middle dark blue. Kyo's was only different because he had rolled the sleeves up.

"Wow!" I said, almost drooling, "This is incredible!"

"You think we can eat all this?" Kyo asked.

"Guess we'd better get started serving the rice," Tohru smiled reaching for the bin that contained the white rice.

"Not so fast!" Momiji said, holding his hand out to stop her, "Remember? You're the princesses today! I'll do it!"

Momiji removed the lid as he grabbed Tohru's rice bowl. With a care-free smile he scooped lumps and lumps of rice and plopped it in her bowl, some spilling over the side.

"Don't you think that's a little bit much-" Kyo started to ask as he reached for some cut salmon.

Momiji smacked Kyo's hand with the rice spoon.

"What the hell was that?" Kyo snapped.

"The Princesses get to go first!" Momiji insisted to Kyo.

We laughed a little.

"Well, Miss Honda, Miss Kojima, what are you going to try?" Yuki asked.

Tohru was a little hesitant, probably unsure of what to try first.

"Hmm," I looking around the table I spotted the crab meat next to the salmon and plucked it off the plate and into my mouth.

"Tasty..." I hummed, savoring the juicy meat from the sea.

Tohru finally picked something to eat and placed it in her mouth. With a few chews she's smiled brightly, "It's delicious!"

"Wonderful," Yuki said grabbing his chopsticks, "Let's eat!"

"Pardon the intrusion, "We looked up to see the hostess kneeling at the door, "But the head chef would very much like to pay his respects to the young masters."

He came in after the hostess' introduction, "As always, it is my pleasure to serve you," he said, kneeling and bowing. "Does the cuisine meet with your approval?"

"Oh, yeah," Kyo said, giving him a half-smile.

"It's even more delicious than I remembered," Yuki said.

"A meal fit for a king," Tohru complimented.

The chef suddenly looked up. "Please, make way!" He jumped right between Yuki and Kyo and grabbed a dish from the table. "Ah...it's too cold..."

The hostess gasped.

"Noooo!" he cried, crawling back to his place next to the hostess, deeply bowing his head, "This is inexcusable! I thought I'd seen to it that the young masters' cuisine would be served with the hot foods hot and the cold foods cold! Only my complete lack of confidence as a chef could allow such a lukewarm dish to be served to you! I beg your forgiveness!" He pulled out a pair of chopsticks and held the pointy end to his chest, "Maybe I be cut into a thousand pieces for this outrageous act!"

"No! It was my fault!" the hostess cried, grabbing a pair of chopsticks of her own, "I clearly waited too long to serve your meal!"

"No! It was my fault!"

"It was my fault!"

They started dueling with their chopsticks, still arguing about whose fault it was.

"By any chance are those two-?"

"Related?" Yuki finished. "Yes, they're cousins."

"Weird." I mumbled, plucking up another piece of crab. (Yes, I love crabs.)

-0-

After dinner, Kyo had challenged Yuki to a game of ping pong. Tohru wanted to take another bath. I was wary but I allowed her to go alone. Momiji stayed with me as we went to grab some drinks before we went to watch Yuki and Kyo play.

"So, since the hostess is a Sohma, does she know anyone from the Zodiac?"

"Yeah, that's right. The Hot Spring Lady is Ritsu's mom," Momiji said as we walked down the hall to thehot springs' game room. "Sorry, I thought I told you all that."

"So...Ritsu? That's a pretty name."

"Mm-hmm! But enough about that! Let's play ping-pong, okay? Yuki and Kyo never let me play with them."

I giggled at the thought of Momiji playing with them, "Yuki and Kyo play on a higher level than us normal players."

"Ah! Momiji! Zakura!"

Momiji and I turned around and saw Tohru running as fast as she could in her robe towards us.

"Hi, Tohru. How was your bath?" I asked once she was closer to us, "Did you pass out again?"

She lightly shook her head with a smile, "No, not this time. There was a special bath for those prone to dizziness."

"Oh, that was nice of them to have."

She nodded, "It was. Oh, did you know that the hostess was a mother of a member of the Zodiac?"

I nodded my head, "Yeah, Momiji just got finished telling me about it. We're going to watch Yuki and Kyo play ping pong, wanna go?"

She eagerly nodded her head, "Yeah that sounds like a lot of fun!"

-0-

"Yaaaahhhhhh!" Kyo hit the tiny white ball as hard as he could, sending it flying past Yuki's head and onto the floor.

"Out again," Yuki stated tiredly.

Kyo looked at him in shock.

"I told you, you have to let it bounce on the table."

"Shut up! That's stupid! Why would I wanna hit that slow?" Kyo retorted, not liking the way the rules were set up.

"Why? Because those are the rules…" Yuki demonstrated by gently serving the ping pong ball, letting it bounce once before going over the tiny net. Unable to resist, Kyo served the ball back, twice as hard with the same result as before.

"Out again."

Kyo glared at him, a quiet growl forming in his throat.

"Hang in there, Kyo!" Tohru cheered, "You can do it!"

"I thought at least at ping-pong he might have a chance to beat me," Yuki said, smirking at Kyo. "But, as usual, he's hopeless."

Kyo cried out and flipped the ping-pong table, "How can I beat you with all these stupid rules? How 'bout we take this outside?"

"You know, _you're_ the one who wanted to play this game in the first place," Yuki reminded him.

"Well, in that case, I'll play you, Kyo," I said grabbing a ping pong paddle.

"Ooh, that sounds like fun! Play her, play her!" Momiji chanted.

"Are you serious?" Kyo asked in disbelief when I took Yuki's spot.

"Competely!" I even got into a little stance, ready to hit the ball at any time, "Come on, sensei! Show me what you got!" I teased. Sometimes when Kyo and I are training he joked about me calling him sensei. Every now and then I call him that just to boost his spirits, especially when he gets beaten by Yuki.

"Advance warning," Kyo said accepting my challenge, "I'm not gonna go easy on you just 'cause you're a girl."

"When have you ever gone easy on me?"

"Remember, it has to bounce," Yuki said.

"You shut up!" Kyo shot back before gently serving the ball to me.

I served it back just as gently over the net. Kyo hit it back, and I returned it. It continued like that a few times and I grew bored and I'm pretty sure everyone else did too. So when Kyo served it back, I served it a little harder. Kyo wasn't expecting it and nearly missed it when he served it back just as hard. Soon we got competitive to see who could hit it the hardest and fastest. The ball was pretty much a blur and I couldn't keep my eyes on it anymore and my paddle flew out of my hands and at Kyo's head. Luckily for him he ducked and my paddle smacked against the wall and the white ball bounced on my side before falling to the ground behind me.

"Aw! I lost my paddle!" I whined.

"Yeah, I noticed," Kyo said, smirking even though I knew he wanted to laugh, "You kinda suck."

"Aw, admit it! I was doing well!" I grinned back at him.

"No, you still lost. The ball landed on your side."

"Kyo, don't tell her that!" Momiji scolded.

"Oh, what, you think you can do better?" Kyo asked sarcastically.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Yuki walk out, his hand over his mouth. Tohru followed soon after. I guess whatever's wrong with him, Tohru would sort it out.

"Okay, let's play again."

-0-

Later that night as Tohru and I lay on either side of Momiji, I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to be surrounded by loving people. Ever since my mom basically abandoned me, I always thought that all I needed was Tohru to keep me moving forward…but now that we met Yuki, Kyo, and the rest of the Sohma's…I feel so surrounded by loving people that I'm growing to love and cherish them all. I'm so grateful to them and I'm thankful for every little thing we do every single day.

**[The next morning]**

"I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye," the hostess said as we stood outside, waiting for the bus, "But please, all of you, I do hope you'll come again soon." She said a little weakly as she leaned on Kyo's shoulder by her head.

"Do you have to lean on me like that?" Kyo annoyed by the old leaning on him.

"Thank you for everything and take care of yourself," Tohru and I bowed.

"You as well, ladies," she said, leaning more on Kyo's shoulder. "You as well."

"Ah, o-kay, heavy," he said more annoyed.

"I think our driver got lost," Momiji stated looking down the empty road for any sign of the charter bus.

"Momiji, I guess after this we won't get to see you for a while, huh?" Tohru said a little sad she won't get to see the energetic boy as much anymore.

"Huh?" he looked at her, cutely confused.

"You'll be in your first year in middle school or something starting this spring, right?"

"Nope," he said, smiling widely. "This'll be my first year of high school! And, as it turns out, I'll be going to the same high school as you! Yep, that's right! Me and Haru both!"

Our eyes were wide with shock. Hatsuharu I knew was starting high school, but Momiji…I would never guess he would be starting high school!

"Why you sneaky little-" Kyo growled, "Why didn't you tell us sooner you and Haru were coming to our school?"

"We wanted it to be a surprise!"

"Ladies, I'm guessing you didn't know, but Momiji is actually a year younger than us, same as Haru."

"All this time, we thought he was in elementary school!" Tohru spazzed, "And now he's coming to our high school with Hatsuharu!"

_'To think we almost let him bathe with us!'_ "Should we be excited or worried?"

"Be surprised about everything!" Momiji smiled.

_Now that Momiji and Hatsuharu are coming to our high school, I wonder how exciting the new school year would be…_


	12. Play it cool at school!

A/n...eh who cares, noone reads the author's note. *flops over and dies*

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>Hey, there, Zakura here. In return for the valentines chocolates we gave him, Momiji took all of us to a hot spring for White Day. It was really fun and relaxing that we all got to spend time together. Kyo even made me a wristband for White Day and I promised myself to always wear it. In return I wanted to make something for him, I don't know what yet, but I'm sure it'll hit me eventually. I really want to make something for him since he pushed himself to deal with Yuki so he could go to the hot spring with us. It was nice to see him somewhat relaxed.<p>

But before we knew it, spring was in full bloom and it was the first day of the new school year. It was almost hard to believe that we were already in our second year of High school! Although I think Tohru is the only one who was really feeling the spirit of it.

"Isn't this exciting?" Tohru asked us with an excited smile on her face, "And all of the first years are just so cute! I wish you two could've seen them at the entrance ceremony." She said to Uo and Kyo who were lounging at their desks.

"Whatever." They replied in unison sounding as tired as they looked.

"I shouldn't be here at all. I don't know what I'm allergic to more – all the damn pollen in the air or this place," She glance up at Tohru, "So where's the Prince today?"

"Oh, he's been busy helping out with the Orientation Committee," Tohru answered.

"Must be rough," I said, looking over Kyo's shoulder to see what manga he was reading, "With all the new first year girls here…"

"He must be dealing with all their lovey-dovey attacks." Hana stated with no emotion.

Uo nodded, "As popular as he is he's a shoo-in for Student Council President this year."

"Although, I don't think Yuki would want all that attention." Tohru sweat dropped.

Hana stepped next to Tohru, "That reminds me…at the entrance ceremony I thought I sensed Shigure's electric signals coming from the parent's section.

"Oh, yeah," I railed off remembering that he did say he was going to come, but we didn't take him seriously, "He did say that he wanted to come see the others who are coming today."

Uo looked intrigued by this, "Hm, so there are more Sohma's starting this year, huh?"

Tohru nodded, "Uh huh."

"Well, tell us about em," Uo said wanting more information, "Are they boys? Girls?"

"They're two more boys."

She puts a finger to her chin in thought, "You don't say…we gotta meet em." She decided.

"I agree," Hana said, "After all as upper classmen I'm sure there are many things we can teach them."

"Yeah, I can show them all the best places to skip outta class," She turned towards Kyo, "Yo, Orange-top, go get 'em."

Hana turned to Kyo as well, "Yes, fetch."

"Why do I gotta do it? Make them go!" Kyo snapped, pointing to Tohru and I.

Hana placed a hand on Kyo's shoulder, staring him down with her deadly dark purple aura, "Tohru is very tired from being at the entrance ceremony. It would be a terrible crime to make her go through all that trouble."

"What about me?" Kyo cried.

"Oh, you? That's fine."

"You know," I began, "I was already thinking of going to find them anyway. I don't mind going. Tohru can stay here and rest."

"Take Orange-top with you, he's not doing anything."

"Neither are you!"

"Come on, Kyo," I said, already giving into Uo and Hana's request, "We could look for them together. It'll be faster that way."

"Oh, please," he said, wiping his shoulder of Hana's touch, "I already see way too much of those guys as it is."

I leaned closer him and tried to work my persuasive skills, "But you'll be meeting them at school will be a different experience!" When he didn't show signs of moving I suggested something else, "Or you can stay here and be mercilessly abused by Uo and Hana."

Without another word, he stood from his seat, grabbed my wrist and made his way to the door.

"Be back soon!" I called over my shoulder.

* * *

><p>"So what class are Momiji and Hatsuharu in anyway?" Kyo asked me a few minutes after we left homeroom.<p>

I stopped walking and turned to Kyo, a nervous smile on my face.

"You don't even know?" He shouted at me.

"I forgot to ask!" I groveled, "I'm sorry!"

He sighed. "Okay, just wait here. I'll go ask."

Timidly I did what I was told and stood against the wall. _'That could've gone worse…'_

(Switching it up)

Kyo walked over to two first-year girls. "Hey, you know a couple of guys named Sohma? One's got white hair, the other's blonde?"

"Yes," the first girl said a little nervously, smiling. "They're in our class."

"Go get 'em, will ya?"

"Okay!" they giggled and scurried off into the classroom next to them.

_'Hell, why didn't she ask where they were before we started wandering around the whole damn school?_' he wondered.

"Hey, man. Check it out!"

"Hmm?" He turned back around when his curiosity got to him.

"That girl's pretty cute, huh?"

His jaw dropped in surprise when he saw they were talking about Zakura.

"Yeah, I guess so," the second guy said. "But she's not really my type."

"Well, she looks like my type. I'll bet I can talk her into going out with me. I don't do so hot with smart girls."

"Well, you have a point there. So what are you waiting for? Go over there and work your magic."

"Watch and learn, man-"

Kyo walked back over towards where Zakura was standing. He punched the wall above her head and looked down at her. Instead of jumping up in surprise, Zakura just looked up and stared him in the eyes.

Kyo tore his eyes away from her to glare at the two guys that were talking about her.

"On second thought, never mind!" They cried as they scurried away.

Zakura was going to ask what that was about but her question fell short when Kyo stepped back and smacked her in the back of the head.

"See what happens when you stand there like a space cadet?"

"Oh...was I?"

He sighed and looked at her, "Didn't I teach you to at least stay alert when you're by yourself or else it's gonna be your own damn fault when someone kidnaps you?"

'Oh right! That was lesson number five!' Zakura immediately tensed up and tried to look alert. "Right!"

"I said when you're alone..."

"Right!"

"…and when you're with me you can space out as much as you want." He reminded her.

"Right," Zakura sighed blissfully, slouching slightly completely relaxed.

Kyo nearly choked, just realizing what he said, "And I didn't mean anything funny by that, either!" He quickly tried to correct himself, "I was just sayin'! S-so don't get the wrong idea!"

_'Wrong idea? What does he mean? _'Zakura looked at him. "Huh? I- What do you mean?"

He grunted and blushed. "Mm..." _'What the hell am I saying? I sound like an idiot! Why do I always say stupid stuff around her? She's just a girl, like Tohru, only she's not just a girl! She's something else. Damnit! This is driving me crazy! Why can't she just piss me off and yell at me like a normal person?'_

While Kyo was mentally ranting to himself he didn't realize that Tohru soon joined them in the hallway when she noticed they were taking a long time until he heard both of them call out to Momiji who was almost skipping down the hall in the girls' uniform.

"Zakura! Tohru!"

Momiji giggled and reached his arms out to hug them. Kyo hit Momiji on the head before he could.

"What are you, stupid?"

"Waahhh! Kyo's hitting me!" he wailed.

"Idiot! What the hell are you doing wearing a girl's uniform?"

"Kyo, don't me mad," Tohru said trying to sooth Kyo's rage as well as Momiji's crying.

"Good morning."

They all turned to see Hatsuharu slowly approaching them with his normal aloof looking expression.

"Oh, Hatsuharu."

"Well, at least you're not wearing a girl's uniform, too," Kyo said, looking at Haru.

"It's okay, isn't it?" Haru asked, looking down at Momiji, "It suits him."

"Yeah!" Momiji agreed a little happier that someone liked his uniform.

"Uh-huh, it looks good on you." Tohru smiled, happy he wasn't crying anymore.

"What difference does that make?" Kyo shouted exasperated that everyone was alright with the fact that Momiji was wearing the girls' uniform.

"What the-Momiji, what in the world are you wearing?" Yuki asked when he approached his cousins and friends.

"Yuki!" Momiji said happily.

Haru stared at Yuki for a moment before he scurried over to him, grabbing his shirt in his hands.

Yuki sighed. "Hello, Haru."

-0-

"So, Yuki, are you finished with all of your work yet?" Tohru asked.

"No, not quite. I was just making the rounds and I heard the commotion."

"Hey! Listen! Listen!" Momiji said, waving his arms to get everyone's attention,. "I'm really not supposed to goof around too much when I'm here…cause if I do, it'll be too easy for me to crash into girls! So I'm gonna try and play it cool at school!" He declared with a bright smile.

"How the hell can you call wearin' a dress 'cool'?" Kyo yelled.

"A valid point, Kyo Sohma, Class 2-D," Everyone looked down the hall to their left when they heard the new voice. "And while I find that orange head of yours disagreeable, I will ignore it for the moment. What I cannot ignore is a boy who would wear a girl's uniform to school! This goes beyond outrageous! And even if your teachers allow it, I will not! For I am this school's Student Council President, Makoto Takei! Also known as...Captain of the Campus Defense Force!" He proclaimed loudly as his two female cohorts clapped.

"What a complete idiot," Kyo, Yuki, and Haru said together.

"I can see already that you're going to be a problem student!" he said to Momiji. "And the same goes for you, Hatsuharu Sohma! I will not tolerate that white hair or those _gaudy_ necklaces!"

"President Takei, it's his natural color," Yuki said, trying to soothe the council president or at least get him to stop yelling.

"Oh, Yuki," he gushed seeing the handsome male, "So nice to see you." He greeted a little more softly before raising his voice again, "But _'natural color_'? I can see that his hairline is black!"

"Yes, that's a natural, too."

"That's ridiculous! I don't believe it!"

Haru stuck his unoccupied pinky finger into his ear and started twisting it back and forth to block out Takei from shouting in his ear anymore than he already was.

"And I suppose wearing this dress is 'natural' for you, Momiji Sohma? Have you no pride as a man? You had best change your ways and your clothes! Before this incident becomes the ruin of your life!"

Momiji sniffled. "But, uh...this uniform...looks better on me."

Tohru and Zakura stepped in front of Momiji to block him from Takei's verbal abuse.

"Please, don't yell at him anymore."

"Yeah, he's just a kid."

"If I am yelling it is to be sure he hears this advice which should've been obvious to anyone with common sense!"

"Shut up."

Takei's jaw dropped by the blunt statement after his speech.

"Quit shoutin' like you're kind of the freakin' world. You're making my ears bleed, you bastard!" Haru spat annoyed, pinning his glare on the loud president. Haru walked away from Yuki and towards Takei, "Now I've got some 'common sense' for you." Takei fearfully began to step back with every step Haru took forward, "If I wore a tie it wouldn't change who I am…If I had no piercings it wouldn't mean I'm 'nice'. And if my hair was black, it wouldn't stop me from kickin' your ass!" He grabbed Takei's shirt in his fist and brought him closer to his face, "Who do you think you are, anyway? Do you think you're God? Huh?"

"Black Haru..." Everyone whispered in unison.

"What's the matter? Run out of things to say? No more advice? You're not so high and mighty now, are you?" Haru shouted shaking Takei vigorously with every word.

Takei's cohorts cried out worriedly.

"Hey! Cut it out! He's just an idiot!" Kyo yelled.

"Shut up!" Haru yelled back, swinging Takei around in a circle, "No one asked you, you stupid cat!"

"Don't call me stupid, you little brat!"

"Gyaahh…" Haru stopped and glared at Kyo. "You run away from our last fight and you still think you can tell me what to do?"

"What?" Kyo shouted outraged, "You're the one who called it off, remember?"

"Well, I'm calling it back on!"

"That's just fine with me!"

"Hey, girls, you want some candy?" Momiji said, smiling and holding out two lollipops.

"Uh, no thank you" They declined watching the scene unfold before them, not sure how to possibly calm the situation.

"Hey, sweetheart," Haru said, putting a hand on each of the girls' shoulders.

"Leave them alone!" Kyo growled.

"Tell me somethin'. You ladies think Momiji's outfit is okay, don't you? In time, after he grows up some more, then he'll be able to start wearing men's clothing. And if you think he looks good in that girl's uniform, just imagine what he'll look like as an adult."

It only took a short moment for the two girls to imagine a older, more handsome Momiji wearing the boys uniform with a lollipop in his hand, "Lovely..."

"Don't be brainwashed!" Takei ordered.

Haru puts his hand on Momiji's head. "For now, he should wear the clothes that look best on him." He stated as though it were the end of discussion.

"No! There's a dress code! It's not fair to the other students!"

"You stubborn idiot," Haru frowned, "What would you do if it was Yuki wearin' a girls' uniform, huh?"

With moved tears in his eyes Takei had imagined Yuki in the girls' uniform, the short skirt version…Needless to say, the others weren't as moved to tears as Takei.

"Haru, cut it out or I will cut you off," Yuki said murderously to his dual hair cousin.

"Aw, have my words...made you angry?" Haru cooed placing a finger to Yuki's lips.

"It's beautiful!" Takei cried.

"Stop imagining me!" Yuki shouted, snapping Takei out of his fantasy.

"Oh my... I guess I got carried away...You are a worthy opponent, Hatsuharu Sohma, but still... Your hair is unacceptable! And you'll never convince me that's your natural color!"

Haru stared at him. Takei chuckled smugly.

Then Haru grabbed Takei's shirt in his fist and dragged him off into the boys' bathroom.

Silence fell over the group, but it wasn't long before Haru and the president quietly came back to them. Haru looked very smug while Takei looked pale and disgusted.

Takei took his glasses off. "Impressive evidence. There are still many strange things in this world that are unknown to me."

It didn't take long for Kyo and Yuki to understand what Haru did.

"He didn't!" Kyo said in disbelief.

"I think he did!" Yuki cried.

Haru smirked confidently.

"You may have won today, Sohma!" Takei yelled, pointing at Haru as he and his two cohorts backed away on scurry feet, "But you won't be so lucky next time! I'll get you! I'll get you all!"

Once they were gone Momiji faced the others, "So, who were those people, anyway?"

"Beat the hell outta me," Haru stated.

Kyo and Yuki let out a tired sigh while Tohru still looked a little confused about something. She turned to Hatsuharu and asked, "Um, Haru? I don't understand…how did you convince him that that's your natural hair color?"

Yuki, Kyo, and Zakura looked at her as though she grew a second head, _'Maybe she hasn't matured enough?'_

Haru smirked deviously, "Alright." He stepped closer and put a hand on her cheek, "Why don't you come with me and see for yourself?"

Kyo and Yuki decked Haru in the back of the head at the same time, knocking him to the floor in a crippled heat.

"That Black Haru is too much," Kyo muttered.

"So...how did he do it?" Tohru asked.

"Never mind," Yuki said. "Don't worry about it Miss Honda."

Tohru looked at Zakura expectedly, hoping she would answer the question. Zakura placed a hand on Tohru's shoulder and shook her head no, "Trust me, you don't want to know. It's gross."

Haru sat up slowly, putting a hand to his head, "Why do I feel so exhausted?"

Yuki and Kyo sighed and slumped forward.

"Oh brother... You think you're exhausted?"

The bell rang causing everyone to strengthen themselves out.

"Oh, hey, there's the bell."

"Guess we better get to our classrooms, huh?" Momiji said a little excited.

"Oh yeah, Uo and Hana wanted to meet you all later," Zakura told Momiji and Haru, "So after school we wanted to introduce you to them."

"So we'll come find you all later, okay?" Tohru and the others began to walk away until Momiji told them that he needed to tell Kyo and Yuki something. Yuki and Kyo were unsure about letting the girls walk back to class by themselves since they're a magnet for danger, but the girls didn't mind and told them they would go back together and wait for them in class.

Once the girls were gone Kyo turned to Momiji, "So, what did you want to tell us? This sure as hell better be important."

Judging by the down casted look on look on Momiji's naturally happy face, it was important.

-0- switch it up-0-

"That was quite a scene back there," Tohru giggled a bit as they made their way back to homeroom, "If every day's going to be like this, I think it'll drive Yuki and Kyo crazy."

They laughed softly together as Tohru slide open the door to homeroom. The homeroom teacher looked up when he saw who it was he got up from his desk and went over to them, looking at Zakura, "Zakura, the main office called for you. They want you to go down there as soon as possible."

Zakura gave Tohru a soft small before giving her hand a light squeeze, "I'll be back ok?"

Tohru nodded and watched her friend back out of the classroom and walk slowly down the hall. She hoped that Zakura would be okay with whatever's going on.

-0-

_'What else can happen today?'_ I wondered walking down to what seemed like endless white halls to get to the main office, _'I wonder what Momiji had to talk to Yuki and Kyo about? What ever it is I hope it's not too troubling. The last thing we need is trouble.'_

I stood before the main office door, almost debating whether or not to open it. She couldn't be in trouble or anything; it's the first day of the new school year. Unless for some odd reason President Takei told the principle about what happened earlier, but that's nothing to complain about… _'Just open the door!'_ I yelled at myself before sliding the door open, "Excuse me…"

"Well, it's about time you got here."

I felt my stomach drop when I saw who stood before me…my mom. This had to be a joke…why would she be here? Her of all people?

I closed the door and quickly walked way from the door and down the hall back to homeroom, there was no way I was going to be anywhere near that women.

"Zakura Kojima!" I heard her scold me from behind. I could hear her high heels clicking behind me, getting steadily closer, "How dare you walk away from me like that!" I felt her hand grab my wrist tightly, "What is the matter with you?"

I snatched my wrist back, "Leave me alone…" I murmured, not looking at her, "What are you even doing here?"

"Is it wrong for a mother to check up on her daughter?" She retorted hotly.

"Oh, please, since when have you ever had the time to check on me?"

"Well, I first called Tohru's grandfather to check on you and he told me you were staying with a friend. You've never stayed away from home this long so will you please come home?" She didn't sound sincere at all. She made it seem like the entire process would be a bother to her.

"No thanks, I like where I'm staying." I told her quietly, "I actually feel welcomed there."

"You've always been welcomed home, Kenichi just said the other day that he-"

"So now you're dating some other guy?" I interrupted her, "What happened to the last guy?"

"That's not important;" She said quickly, "The point is that he wants to meet you."

I shook my head lightly, "Well, I don't want to meet him. I never want to meet any of the guys you try to use to replace dad because quiet frankly its embarrassing and disgusting." Mom's body stiffened for a moment before she regained her composure, "You will not talk to me that way. I am your mother you will show me respect."

I resisted the urge to scoff. I already lost all respect for her as a mother, "You've never been a real mother to me." I snapped at her.

Her cheeks flushed with rage and she raised her hand to slap me. I held my arms up to block my face but her hand never came into contact. To both of our surprise, Kyo was holding her wrist back. I've never seen such pure rage in his blood red eyes before, not even towards Yuki.

Mom was taken aback for a moment but slowly backed off when Kyo released her hand, "Who are you?" She questioned him, holding her wrist.

"This is Kyo Sohma. He's a friend of mine from class…" I told when Kyo walked over and stood beside me, _'And Tohru and I are also staying with him and Yuki at Yuki's house…'_

Mom opened her mouth to say something but Kyo grabbed my hand and tugged me quickly down the hall without a word. I was stumbling along the way but I looked over my shoulder to look get one last look at my mom, who just stood there, and picked up my pace to match Kyo's.

It wasn't until we were outside of the school near the badminton courts that he finally released my wrist.

"You handled that quite well." I commented dryly, rubbing my wrist, not out of hurt but out of comfort, "Thanks…"

"Don't mention it," He replied gruffly, "It wasn't that big a deal, I was going back to class and I heard you and her talking…"

"Oh yeah," I trailed recalling that he and Momiji and the others were talking about something, "What did Momiji have to tell you guys that was so important?"

"…Nothing." Kyo muttered not looking me in the eyes; instead he glowered off in a different direction.

_'Whatever Momiji had to tell Yuki and Kyo obviously wasn't good and saving me from my mother probably didn't improve his mood…he needs to relax a bit…' _I could hear the voices of our friends on the coming from the badminton courts on our right. I forgot that since school gets out early today, Uo and Hana wanted to play badminton and I guess they dragged the others as well.

With a big grin on my face I grabbed Kyo's wrist and dragged him towards the others despite his very loud protesting. When we joined the others Uo heard Kyo's complaining and threw him a racquet and told him to shut up. Everyone grabbed a racquet and formed a small circle, to decide teams we had to play rock paper scissors…even though I had no idea how we would decide teams that way.

"What am I doing here?" Kyo mumbled holding up his fist to show he chose rock, "I hate badminton."

"Oh, stop it, I don't even want to hear you complaining over there, you're not the one who has to play with this mask on, wuss."

"Well, no one's forcing you to play!"

The teams were decided: Tohru, Yuki, Uo and Momiji versus Hana, Haru, Kyo and I.

"So, then," Yuki spoke softly, "We've picked teams, but what now? What are the rules?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Uo said thoroughly confused. I don't think she realized that our version of badminton is different from the actual version.

"Rules are useless in badminton," Hana stated, "You hit the birdie as hard as you can…your opponent will try to do the same. If you must call it a rule, then the first one to collapse from exhaustion loses."

"That's good," Haru smiled, liking the challenge, "It sounds easy."

"It sounds _stupid_!" Kyo butted in.

"Oh, shut up, will ya? Just get into position."

"Position?" Yuki asked, still confused.

We wouldn't really call it getting into position; we just took spots on our side of the court and waited for the game to start. I'm sure they'll understand how to play once we get started.

"Okay, Prince," Uo said to him after we'd all gotten into position, "Time to let Orange-top have it." She pointed her racquet at Kyo.

"Keep dreaming, Yankee!" Kyo yelled back.

"You ready?" Tohru smiled brightly Yuki. He nodded a little uncertainty in his eyes.

"Here it comes!" Uo called out, hitting the birdie over the net.

_'Ever since my dad died and my mom started to abandon me I had thought I only needed Tohru and her mom to pick myself up and move on with my life…I always thought that as long as I had them caring for me, I can still think of dad and be happy…but when Tohru's mom died, there was another hole in my heart…in a way I felt that dad died again and I felt that I had no one…but there was Tohru…we had each other and we only need each other…'_ I watched Kyo serve the birdie back over toward Uo, _'…but when we met the Sohma's…some of that loneliness lifted. We actually felt at home, we felt welcomed. Shigure wasn't the best father figure; he was more of a perverted uncle than a father to me. All the Sohma boys we've met so far are potential brothers…Kagura's the crazy distant cousin I never want to cross paths with…Hatori's the stoic father with a soft loving side that he won't show to others…Ayame…he's my strange boss…Kyo…'_ I couldn't help but to stop and stare at Kyo, my heart rate accelerating slightly watching him run back and forth hitting the birdie as his orange hair flutter slightly in the wind, brushing over his beautiful red eyes, _'…at first I thought Kyo was a maniac when he came bursting through the roof and a little while after I still thought he was a short tempered angry cat, but he's actually really gentle and kind.'_

"Zakura, it's coming towards you!"

I looked up and saw the birdie coming towards me. _'Ever since we met these wonderful people, I don't feel so alone or troubled. I actually feel happy and at peace with everyone around me.'_ I raised my racquet and sent the birdie back, '_And I want to stay right where I am…with all of them…'_

* * *

><p>Okay, I had a lot more written for this chapter, but it got screwed up and data was lost and I had to write it all over and I forgot a majority of what I originally wrote. It was awesome and dramatic in my opinion. Maybe if I remember, I'll reedit it. Thanks to all who have reviewed, you're all awesome! The DNAngel fic and Naruto fic will be updated momentarily, sometime soon, can't make any promises, I get killed that way.<p> 


	13. Ayame comes to visit!

A/n...Christmas! Yayness! I also got some new fic ideas, but can't post them yet. Three fics at one time is enough to swarm me. But eh, I'm not in it for the money...oh yeah I'm not getting paid...at least I don't demand for reviews like 99% of the fanfic population. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, more updates coming sometime in the future, can't say near or far. I'm not a fortune teller.

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p><em>After a few days of settling into the new school year and getting used to Haru and Momiji being there, the next few days were actually eventful and stress free. I hadn't seen or heard from my mother since then either and that was just fine with me. Sometimes I don't mean to dislike her so much, but sometimes just being around her gets to be too much for me. I wish I could tune her out almost as well as I tune out my boss Ayame when he's on his rants about his little brother who hates him.<em>

"Ah..." Kyo groaned, over his growling stomach, "Dammit, I'm hungry."

I looked at Kyo leaning against the kitchen wall, "Tohru and Yuki should be back eventually. Just hand in there a little longer." I told him patiently while getting things set up for lunch.

"Try being patient for once," Shigure said, placing his newspaper down to pull out a bowl of leeks and packet of miso, "You can snack on these to tide you over."

Kyo glared at Shigure, "Are you crazy? You know damn well I hate miso!" he yelled, grabbing the bowl out of Shigure's hand and tossing it far away from him.

"You know, you shouldn't waste food like that," Shigure said solemnly, "Terrible..."

Kyo growled at him.

I was thankful when I heard the front door open and the sound of feet running in. I walked past Shigure and Kyo to go greet them, but Yuki sped right passed me to stand in front of Shigure holding a silver snake in his hand.

"You want lunch?" Yuki said darkly. "Here, skin this and eat it," he demanded. He had a dark purple aura that surrounds him, similar to Hana when she's trying to scare someone.

Shigure looked closer at the snake, "Uh...is that...Aya?" He inquired, "It is! But what is he doing here?"

"Never mind!" Yuki snapped, holding the snake around the neck tighter, "Just skin this thing and eat it!"

"Hold on... I think you need to calm down, Yuki."

-0-

"There. We'll let him sleep for a little while," Shigure said softly closing the door to his office/room, "That was Ayame Sohma and, as I'm sure you noticed, he's the snake."

_'Ayame?'_ I chuckled to myself, _'How ironic he has the same first name as my boss.'_

"Snakes naturally hibernate in the winter. I imagine that's part of the reason Aya has always been sensitive to the cold. If he's not careful, it can cause him to transform like this," Shigure lips formed a smile, "Aya, Hatori, and I grew up together. We were in the same classes through grade school, middle school, and high school! We were inseparable. So much so, people called us 'The Three Musketeers'."

"Oh, wow!" Tohru gasped, falling for his lies, "Did they really?"

"How is it possible to be in the same classes all that time?"

"More like 'The Three Idiots' if you ask me."

"How did Hatori put up with you for so long?"

Shigure grinned at Yuki, "Soo... What did Aya do to upset you so much, Yuki?"

"I won't even say it, it's so disgusting," Yuki spat in disgust.

"Come now, it wasn't so bad!" a familiar deep voice said from Shigure's office, "You could show a little more forgiveness to your own brother."

_'Wait…I know that annoying voice…'_

There was the loud poof.

"Did he say 'brother'?" Tohru asked.

"Allow me to explain what happened." I tiredly placed my forehead in my hand. I know that tone, he was going to drone on and on, exaggerating the truth, "I was on my way here, when a sudden chill in the air caused me to transform. In my search for heat, I sensed a warm body drawing near and naturally I clung to it! I suppose you could say it was..._instinct_." The door slid open, we all laid eyes on Ayame. I don't know why I hadn't noticed it before, but he kinda looked like an older version of Yuki. He looked just like an older version of Yuki, only his eyes were gold and his hair was lighter and much longer, and his voice was much deeper than Yuki's.

"Greetings, everyone!" he said. "And how are you, little brother?"

_'Oh no, it is Ayame…'_

"If we all followed our instincts, I would've snapped you in two when I had the chance!" Yuki shouted at his brother.

"What's the big deal?" Kyo asked Tohru, "What exactly did he do to you?"

Tohru just blushed and stuttered out something we couldn't understand, "Oh! Well- you see – he uh!"

"Oh, Lucky Kyo, I heard you were staying here," Ayame said, fixing up his robes.

Kyo growled at him, "I told you before- quit calling me that!"

"Lucky Kyo, you haven't changed a bit." Ayame responded flippantly.

"I said stop!"

Ayame's eyes finally landed on me, "Ah, Zakura, you're here as well! You should've told me you were staying here with my dear younger brother!"

"I didn't know Yuki was your brother. I didn't even know that you were a Sohma, boss," I said earning a crazy confused look from Kyo.

"How can you not know he was a Sohma?" He questioned, "Don't you work for him?"

I rubbed the back of my head out of embarrassment, "Well, we never really questioned each others backgrounds. I said I needed work and he hired me."

"It's been too long, Shigure," Ayame said loudly over me.

"Yes, since New Years'," Shigure replied.

"You haven't forgotten about me while we were apart, have you?" Ayame asked lowering his voice as roses fluttered around him.

"Not a day has gone by that you haven't been on my mind, Aya," Shigure replied, lowering his voice just like him.

Then they gave each other a thumbs-up. "Yes!"

Yuki leaned against the wall, his head in his hand. He was probably getting tired already from his brother.

"By the way, this is the one and only Tohru and Zakura Kojima," Shigure said briefly introducing us, "You came to see them, right?"

"Hm?" Ayame hummed, looking completely confused for one moment before turning to us, as if remembering that's why he came, "Oh, yes, that's right!" Ayame bowed to us. "I'm sorry about earlier. I am Yuki's older brother, Ayame."

"Pleased to meet you," Tohru said politely.

"So you really do exist..." Ayame mused dramatically, "The princesses I've...heard so much about. Two blooming flowers trapped in a house of stinking men! Are they treating you well, princesses?"

"You make it sound like they've been kidnapped," Shigure laughed nervously.

'Technically we're staying here illegally under his care." I agreed.

"Brother, you're being rude. Stop making fun of them."

"Making fun?" Ayame asked, not at all hurt by this accusation. "Honestly. I mean these fine young ladies nothing but the _highest_ respect." He sat down next to Shigure. "So, princesses, why don't you make us some tea?" He tapped the table two times, "And lunch would be nice."

"That's not respect!" Yuki and Kyo yelled.

"Of course, you're right," Ayame said. "What was I thinking? Let me try again." He stood and gently grabbed Tohru's hand, "Come, Tohru! We're going out to eat!"

"Um...I don't know..."

"Don't worry! It's my treat!" He laughed without a care in the world, dragging her away like a rag doll.

Once they were out of view Zakura turned to the boys, "Tohru was just kidnapped by your bother and my boss…should we call the police?"

Yuki and Kyo glared at Shigure.

"Now, there's no use getting angry at me..."

-0-

After Shigure ran into hiding I made tea for Yuki, Kyo, and I while we wait for Ayame to bring Tohru back.

"I can't believe that all this time I was working for Yuki's brother…" I commented lightly, placing a warm cup of tea in front of Yuki and Kyo.

Kyo reached for his cup, "I can't believe you were working for someone you didn't know. You really only knew his first name and nothing else?"

"Well when you put it like that it does sound careless," I stated dryly before sitting down with my cup, "I was desperate for a job at the time. I was just walking through town job hunting and I went into a clothes store asking for work. Out of the blue he swept me off my feet and demanded that I work for him – saying I had good potential even though he didn't know my skills. He took me back to his store and his assistant, Mine, grabbed my arm with a deranged look in her eyes and asked me if I liked to dress up." I shivered at the experience. That woman is merciless, "After showing him what I could do, he hired me and that's how I started working for him. He didn't ask me for any personal information like a normal boss would and I didn't ask for his."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Kyo retorted, "For all you knew, he could've been some creep."

I shrugged my shoulders, "After working for him for a few days I found that he was completely harmless. He's a weirdo, granted, but harmless." I paused for thought, "Come to think of it…whenever he did talk about himself he sounded lonely to me. He would talk about how everyone admired him and everything, but truthfully I think he was lonely or something along those lines. At first it seemed like he blindly over looked other people's feelings, like his brothers…" I said softly giving Yuki a knowing look, "I don't know the full details but it seemed to me that when you two were younger…Ayame wasn't there as a big brother when you really needed him and now you hate him. From that point you complete reject him as your brother."

Yuki didn't say anything, he stared down into his tea.

"…Ayame must be here to visit you Yuki…" I said softly. _'When Shigure introduced Tohru to Ayame, anyone could clearly see that he wasn't there to see Tohru…' _"I'm not going to ask you to be his little brother again, but at least try to meet his brotherly affections half way. Just the little bit of attention from you makes Ayame happy. I'm sure he's sorry for whatever he did to you."

Right after I had said that, Yuki excused himself from the table and left the room.

"That could've gone better." I sighed dejectedly, 'I can't give advice like Tohru can.'

Kyo finished his tea, "It's none of my business so I don't care either way." He stood up and began making his way up to his room.

"Hold on, Kyo." I stood up and ran up the steps after him, "I need you to do something for me." Before he could get a word in, I whipped out my measuring tape and wrapped it around his chest, waist, arms, across his shoulders and back. I probably made him dizzy whirling around him like that taking his measurements.

"What the hell was that about?" He questioned, for once not snapping at me for violating his space.

Rolling up the measure tape, I tried to keep his measurements fresh in mind, "I'm making something for you and I need your measurements."

"You couldn't just ask me?"

"Don't be silly, that would be too easy!"

[15 minutes….]

"Oh, Miss Honda, are you all okay?" Yuki asked worriedly when Tohru finally returned home alone, surprisingly. I wonder what happened to Ayame.

"Uh-huh," Tohru said. "Did everyone get something to eat?"

"Never mind about that," Yuki said quickly. "Did my brother give you any trouble?"

"No, not at all," Tohru said. "He bought me pot sticker plate."

_'That's a cheap meal.'_ I pouted, leaning against the wall along the steps to eavesdrop.

"Um...Yuki? I was wondering... Well, do you really not like your brother? I mean, I know it's not really any of my business. I was just curious."

Kyo had joined me in eavesdropping, leaning slightly over my head.

Yuki smiled a little. "I wouldn't say I _dislike_ him. He's just a little too much for me sometimes."

"Well, if that's all, we can overcome it!"

Yuki glared at Tohru's throat, where the voice had come from. She laughed nervously when she realized she had been caught.

"I will do all in my power to meet you half-way...my brother!" Ayame declared slithering out of the front of her dress.

Yuki stared at him in utter shock. I slumped against the wall in shock and disgust while Kyo on the ground.

"Uh...you see..." Tohru stuttered embarrassed, "It got really cold on the way home from the restaurant and he transformed! And then he said that if snakes get too cold, they can die!"

I don't think Yuki cared about that. All he could do was hang his head in shame.

Ayame wrapped his body around her head. "Well, I am a snake."

Yuki's eyes snapped opened with fury as he grabbed Ayame from Tohru's head, "You may be a snake, but you're no brother of mine!"

Ayame laughed as Yuki threw him around the house. "You can't change the truth, Yuki!"

"Ah, welcome back," Shigure greeted, not bothered by the fact that Yuki was beating up his brother.

_I think they'll get along just fine as long as they meet each other half way. I understand that Ayame really wants Yuki to acknowledge him as an older brother, but for now he should take it slow and enjoy the attention he's getting from him now._

"Shigure...have you picked out a place for me to sleep tonight?" Ayame asked, now wrapped safely around Shigure's neck.

"Oh, you're staying over?" Shigure asked, not at all expecting that.

* * *

><p>0- Two days later, 6:00 am -0-<p>

_I really do savor waking up to a quiet peaceful morning with the birds chirping and the sun shining gently through the window._

"Get offa me!"

I bolted up out of bed at the same time Tohru did, "Huh? Wha?"

Then we heard thumping and crashing coming from the next room over.

….

"I'm sorry, but I had no other choice," Ayame explained once everyone sat down for breakfast. He had a bandage on his forehead and a few bruises. "Yuki locked the door to his room, so I couldn't sleep in there!"

"Why the hell didn't you go to Shigure's room, like yesterday?" Kyo growled, still disgusted he woke up next to Ayame.

"Because if I had Shigure would've kept me up all night."

"Aya," Shigure reprimand lightly, playing along with Ayame, "Not in front of the children, please."

"Oh, cut it out!" Kyo yelled, "How long are you even staying here?"

Yuki looked like he was concentrating very hard on ignoring Ayame.

"Don't worry," Ayame said leaning closer to Tohru, "If it bothers you that much, tonight I'll sleep in Zakura and Tohru's room."

"You will not!" Kyo and Yuki shouted together.

-0-

It was the morning of the third day since Ayame had come to visit. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that the gap between him and Yuki had only grown wider. I had grown worry that Ayame left the shop in Mine's care…she's a very good worker and all, but if a cute girl comes in and Mine gets all crazy we won't get profits. I hope he plans on going back to work soon.

"Really! Aya's there? I haven't seen him since New Year's!" Momiji said excitedly.

"For three days now," Tohru said, nodding.

"Maybe I'll go visit him!" Momiji smiled cheerfully, but then a thought crossed his mind, "Oh, then again, he probably just wants to spend time with Yuki. Which reminds me... How is Yuki?"

"Uh, well..." I started to say, looking behind me to see a brooding Yuki walking across the court yard, without so much as glancing at them.

"Yuki..."

"What, is he sick?" Momiji asked worriedly.

"No, not exactly," Tohru said.

"Don't worry," Haru assured them quietly, standing up from his spot on the steps, "I get it. Yup, uh-huh, figures."

Tohru and I could only stare at Haru in confusion. He understood something they didn't just by looking at the depressed Yuki.

"Hey, Haru, is it weird for Aya to leave his shop? I mean, he is the owner."

I crossed my arms, "Yeah, I've been worried about that too. I didn't go back because I was scared of being left alone there with Mine."

Tohru turned to me with a small smile, "That's right, you make clothes. Does Ayame make clothes too?"

"That's right. He sells outfits for nurses, stewardesses, maids, things like that." Haru listed.

"So then...he makes, uh...uniforms?" Tohru asked curiously.

"Well, uh...not exactly," Haru answered.

"Aya says he makes fantasies come true!" Momiji said.

Tohru turned to look at me to explain what he meant, but I didn't want to taint Tohru's innocence. Truthfully I try not to get involved when Ayame makes those 'fantasies' comes to life.

-0-

"My, my!" Ayame exclaimed cheerfully as we made our way into the living room, hoping to relax after a long day of school, "This is unexpected!"

"Dammit..." Kyo sighed annoyed.

"He's here..." Yuki said in a tone similar to Kyo's.

"Welcome back!" Shigure greeted.

"But how nice! You boys wanted to see me so badly you came straight home from school. And here I thought _the girls_ and I would have the whole afternoon to ourselves!"

"That's what we were afraid of!"

Tohru and sat at the table to see what Ayame and Shigure were looking at before they came in. Sitting on the table was an open photo album.

"What's that you were looking at?" Tohru asked.

"Oh, just some old albums of us in our high school days." He turned the page to show us the pictures of them in class, "See? There's Hatori, too!"

Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori didn't look all that different from their younger selves. They looked about the same, only more matured, and longer hair.

"Pretty cute, weren't we?" Shigure asked smiling cheekily.

"So you wore your hair long, even when you were in high school, Ayame?" Tohru asked curiously.

"That's right," Ayame smiled proudly, "Of course, I had to bend a few rules." He held up the yellow book for his younger brother to see, "Here, Yuki! You come look, too! Now's your chance to learn something new about your brother!"

Yuki turned away from his brother, "I'll pass, thank you."

Ayame frowned when he heard the blunt refusal, "Then you leave me no choice. I'll simply have to tell you the whole story of how I got to keep my long hair at school."

"What for?" Yuki snapped.

Ayame continued as if Yuki hadn't spoken. "See...it was the very start of my first year in high school..."

"Ugh, here we go…" I moaned covering my face with my hand.

"You like hearin' yourself talk, dont'cha?" Kyo asked sarcastically, sitting down against the wall with his arms behind his head.

(Story time with Ayame Sohma)

_"I allowed the color, but I didn't allow you to wear your hair long. Have it cut by tomorrow."_

_"I'm sorry sir...but...I come from a royal family. I've kept it a secret until now, but soon I must return to my own country."_

_Probably somewhere like Saturn, I thought. Or Pluto. Even though it's technically not a planet anymore._

_"And it is our age-old custom that members of the royal family should always wear their hair long, in honor of the high king Rurubara, who, it is said, during the fourth year of his reign, was visited by a divine image. It was Kandra, shimmering with heavenly light of red and gold! Kandra began to chant, 'Ma Rudu Muni!' And a blue light burst forth from his forehead._

_"At this moment, Rurubara's true spirit was set free! And just as the vast springs of strength and wisom were swelling within him, so too did his hair begin to sprout forth from his head!_

_"At this same moment, the prince Kasipaloo, who had been sleeping securely in his bed, let out a mighty cry. 'Kanpanil!' he shouted-"_

_"Uh, excuse me, I just remembered, I'm late for a very important meeting." The principal turned to walk away._

_Ayame put his hand on his shoulder. "But I still have more to tell you about Kandra."_

_"No! It's fine! Your hair is fine!"_

(End of Ayame Sohma's tale)

"And thus concludes my wonderful tale." Ayame sighed happily with stars around him.

Yuki, Kyo and I hung our heads in despair after listening to that ridiculous story. Tohru, as always, fell for the lies.

"You're really from a royal family?"

"Duh! He was lying! Come on!" Kyo shouted, irritated how dense Tohru could be. Sohma's weren't royalty- they were just rich.

Shigure sighed happily, "Those were the days."

Yuki slapped his hand over his face. "Idiots."

"And here's something else I bet you didn't know…Aya was Student Council President."

Now that was hard to picture someone as eccentric as Ayame… being a responsible role model figure of the entire student body? Whose bright idea was it to elect him?

"He was a natural choice, I suppose," Shigure said. "What with the way he looked and the way he acted, he was really very popular with the other boys. And under his term, many of the old school rules were more relaxed. You certainly had a way about you," he said to Ayame.

"I don't know," Ayame said, chuckling. "I always thought Hari would've made a much better president than me. Do you remember? The time we all went on that class field trip?"

"Of course! How could I forget?"

"So...what happened?" Yuki asked curiously.

A shine of hope rose in Tohru when she heard Yuki asking about what happen. I couldn't believe it either…Yuki was actually asking Ayame to tell a story? Ayame better not mess this up now that Yuki's actually curious.

"Yes, well, you see...there was a group of students during this trip who, we'll say...wandered into the 'red-light district'."

We all stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Please, reserve your judgment until I've explained." He said sternly before going off in an almost bliss like state, "Although, it would've been difficult for any healthy young man to resist this place, we weren't actually the ones that went."

We all slumped over.

"Of course, it's not like we hadn't seen it before," Shigure added.

"Idiot," Yuki muttered.

"I can't believe he just said that out loud," Kyo said under his breath.

"How is it that these two aren't in jail?" I whispered.

Ayame continued the story, "As it happened, one of the teachers found out where they'd gone, and then...it was decided that all of the boys were to be expelled from school. Naturally, as Student Council President, I objected! A meeting was called between the students, their parents, the principal, and the teachers involved."

-0-

_"For a group of minors to set foor in a red-light district...this is by no means an act to be praised," Ayame said. "Laws are put in place to be obeyed. Otherwise, we lose order. And with that being said, I must also express my concern over what I see as a condemnation of our natual human instincts! I submit that the desires which led these boys astray were fueled by perhaps the most noble of human instincts- the instincts to procreate the species! Should we damn them for feeling these natural urges?"_

_"President...!"_

_"Ayame, you're being unusually serious today," the principal said._

_"Yes," a teacher said. "Quite a departure from your normal antics."_

_"At this time," Ayame continued, "I would like to offer you a proposal! Let us offer a hand of rescue to these wayward youths. Let us help them to understand their sometimes confusing natural desires."_

_He slammed his palms down on the table. "From now on, they may direct their desire toward me!"_

_They all stared at him in shock and disgust._

_"As a chosen representative of this student body, it is only fitting that this heavy burden should fall on my shoulders. And furthermore... Since we will all be boys, parents and teachers will have nothing to fear! So send me your desire! In the service of my fellow students, I am prepared to receive!"_

_"He's gone mad!"_

_"Get him out of here!"_

_Two teachers grabbed Ayame and dragged him out._

_He laughed. "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Don't worry! Despite how it looks, I know what I'm doing!"_

-0-

"This concludes my wonderful story."

"You mean stupid!" Kyo shouted.

"Excuse me! But because of that, everyone avoided being expelled."

"How so?" Kyo snapped.

"Well," Shigure said, "after that, Hatori stepped in and said a few words. But Aya was our president, right up until the end."

"You're kidding!" Why keep him as president?

"What do you think, Yuki?" Ayame asked him, smiling. "Has this helped you understand your older brother?"

Yuki smiled back. "I think you should leave."

"Well, I'll have to do better," Ayame said, determined. "Let me tell you about the time I kidnapped the school mascot!"

"No, I really think you should leave."

"It all started one spring morning..."

"Leave!"

"Shigure! Get rid of him!" Kyo yelled.

"But why? This is fun!" Shigure chuckled.

"Yes, it's fun!" Ayame agreed laughing.

"You're killin' me here!" Kyo shouted.

"Even so," Shigure sighed, smoothing out his hair, "I really don't think he'll listen to me. The only person he does listen to is-"

"Hey." We all looked up to see Hatori standing in the living room door way, "The door was unlocked, so I let myself in."

"Oh, hi, Hatori," Tohru and I chimed.

"Speak of the devil!" Shigure said happily.

"Hari!" Ayame cried excitedly, getting to his feet, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Hatsuharu." Hatori explained simply, "He said I should come take you home." Hatori sighed. "So why don't you wrap things up here...and we'll go."

Ayame paused for a nano-second before turning to us with a wave, "Well, then, bye-bye!"

We all looked at Ayame in shock. He was leaving with a fight just because Hatori said so?

Ayame turned to Yuki, "I guess with all the commotion you and I didn't get to talk much."

"Weren't you the one causing the commotion?" Yuki said under his breath.

Ayame ignored him. "But don't worry. You'll see me again, little brother. Alright, Hari. Ready when you are. Until next time, Shigure!"

"Yes! Now it's my turn to visit you!"

"Zakura, I'll see you at work bright and early!"

"I have school tomorrow."

Ayame ignored me and winked at Tohru, "Farewell, everyone!" he called, waving dramatically as he followed Hatori. "So, are we walking?"

"I brought the car."

"Good! Can I drive?"

"No."

When we heard the front door close, we sat in silence for a few moments.

"What...was that all about?" Kyo wondered with his hand on his forehead.

"As long as I remember, Hari's been the only one who can tell Aya what to do. Aya really admires him. He sees a lot of good qualities in Hatori that he's always wished he had in himself. But, since he doesn't, he figures staying close to Hari is the next best thing. He actually told me that once and with a straight face, no less. Letting Hari boss him around is just one way Aya shows his admiration."

Hmm…I guess Ayame's not as egotistical as I thought…even he has someone he admires and inspires to be like. Maybe if he and Yuki keep trying hard, they'll eventually bridge that gap…or at least meet half way.


	14. Great day for visiting a grave

Do people get mad when they demand authors to update faster...and they don't? Does anyone read the author's note?

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scares of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p><em>Oh dear…the day was coming soon…too soon for my liking…what am I going to do? Because of Ayame's stupid antics I almost forgot that May 1st is coming up…<em>

"Uh, Shigure?" Tohru grabbed Shigure's attention while the rest of us were getting ready for school, "I was wondering. Well May 1st is coming up and would you mind if Zakura and I went out that afternoon?" she asked politely.

"Of course not." Shigure assured, "In fact I'm going out that afternoon as well."

Huh, that means Kyo and Yuki are going to have to entertain themselves until Tohru and I got back. Hopefully they won't starve too bad or destroy the house while we're all gone.

Curious Shigure asked if we were spending time with our friends. Tohru told him that it was the first anniversary of Kyoko, her mother, death and we were all going to visit her grave.

How could Tohru say that with such a smile? I don't know but it took them by surprise. Shigure apologized that he wouldn't be able to go with us to at least pay some respects, but Tohru assured him it was fine. Soon Yuki asked if he could come along, saying he wanted to say hello to her. Shigure suggested to Kyo that if he didn't have anything to do he should come with us. I know it would mean a lot to us if they could come, to show Kyoko that we're doing alright and that we've met good people, but I know that not a lot of people like to go to graves so if he didn't want to go he didn't have to.

* * *

><p>"Ah so the Prince is coming with us…and Kyo?" Uo asked us when we met up in the hallway to walk to our next class.<p>

"We're not sure about Kyo." I told her, walking next to Hana, "He didn't seem interested."

"You know, it's too bad your mom never got to meet that boy." Uo said to Tohru, with laughter in her voice, "She would've had so much fun giving him a hard time."

I couldn't help but smile either. Kyoko would've loved Kyo's orange hair, joking that it'd look like an orange and try to peel it. Kyo would be helpless to struggle against her.

Hana had a look of dark humor in her eyes as she imagined her version of Kyoko meeting Kyo, "I can see her giving him a hug so tight that before he could even speak his spine would snap in two."

"That would be terrible." I laughed a little before sombering, "It's almost hard to believe that it's been an entire year…"

"It's hard to believe she's gone…" Hana agreed, equally as sad.

"Yeah, I mean I'm still expecting her to show up one day." Uo admitted, "You know, just all of a sudden saying, 'Hi! Sorry, sorry!' with that big smile of hers…"

We could imagine that too…I think we all hoped that from time to time that she would show up just out of the blue.

"Ahh, that's not helping is it?" Uo apologized, seeing the look on Tohru's face, "But it just showed how great I thought she was. The Legendary Red Butterfly, terror of the highway!"

Hana smiled softly, "I will always treasure that image of her on her lightning-fast bike 'popping wheelies.'"

I smiled in reminisce, "And running on the beach chasing seagulls and shouting at the ocean waves." We had a lot of fun with Kyoko; she was a childish adult with so much wisdom and love.

* * *

><p>May 1st<p>

That morning we all donned our black clothes and took a bus to the grave site where Kyoko rested. We stood outside the small temple to wait for Uo and Hana to join us.

"Kinda small for a temple." Kyo commented

I nudge Kyo in the rib for the insensitive comment, "It's for small families."

To subtly change the subject Yuki commented how lucky we were to have good weather today. It wasn't too hot, there was a nice breeze, and it was nice and sunny. It's like Kyoko was smiling down on us…she should since we're bringing new friends to visit her and she can see that we're doing alright.

"Tohru!" We heard Uo calling, coming up the temple steps with Hana, "Hey! Great day for visiting a grave, huh?"

We nodded in agreement, however Yuki and Kyo were more shocked at what they were wearing. They were wearing black thankfully, but Uo was wearing a yankee trench coat with the Red Butterfly on the back while Hana looked like she was attending a funeral, black veil and all.

"Is that a trenchcoat?" Yuki asked her.

"Yeah, pretty sharp, huh?" She turned around to show them the Red Butterfly on the back, "I inherited this from Kyoko back in the day. You are looking at_ the_ Legendary Red Butterfly riding jacket!"

Yuki blinked in confusion, "Uh, Red Butterfly?"

"That's what they used to call mom when she was in her gang!" Tohru answered proudly.

"Alright! Everybody's here!" Uo exclaimed happily, walking up the steps to the grave grounds, "Let's get this party started!"

It may be a sad day but we are going to keep our spirits up for Kyoko's sake. She wouldn't want us to be sad for her death.

To our surprise when we stood infront of her grave her tombstone was already clean, the incense were burning, and a food offering was placed on her stone.

"Was somebody here before us?" I asked.

Tohru smiled, "It must've been grandfather! He's the only person I can think of who knows mom's favorite food!"

"Your grandfather…?" Kyo trailed in thought trying to remember him. It didn't take him long to remember when we went to Tohru's house and he was there, "Oh yeah, him. What side of the family did you say he was from?"

"Oh, he's the grandfather on my father's side." Tohru answered.

Yuki was hesitant to ask, "Your father…how did he?"

"He was sick and couldn't get better…" Tohru answered softly, she didn't talk about her father as strongly as she talked about her mother, "…that's what mom told me…I was so small then…I don't remember too much about him." She kneeled down and said hello to her mother.

Uo, Hana, and I stood behind her and said hello to her too. Uo and Hana placed the flowers on her grave. Since grandpa did all the cleaning there wasn't much we could do. While they were setting up the flowers, Kyo stood next to me.

"Hey…how did your father die?" He asked softly yet curiously.

I stared at Kyoko's grave, not yet ready to look him in the eye. I knew that if I did I would probably break down, "Same as Tohru's dad…he was sick and had a hard time getting better…" I could tell by the way he stared intently at my face that he knew I wasn't telling the whole story, "I don't want to tell you everything right now since we're here for Tohru…but when I go visit his grave later on I'll tell you."

"Did he die today?"

I shook my head, "No, he died in late December…I wasn't able to visit him lately and since his grave is near here I was going to go visit him." I was ashamed with myself that I ever visit my father's grave as often as I wanted.

When Kyo didn't say anything, I raised my head to look at him and saw him staring at Kyoko's grave. His face was hard and his jaw was clenched his eyes however showed guilt…and regret…? "Kyo?"

"Okay! It's all ready!" Tohru chimed, placing the last bento box on the blanket.

Kyo saw the picnic they set up and started spazzing, "You can't have a picnic on a grave!"

"Huh? What's the big deal?" Uo asked confused by his outburst, "C'mon, Kyoko will like it if we make a little noise before we leave."

"But what if the temple people see you?"

"So what if they do?"

I kneeled down next to Tohru and took the plates from Yuki. He commented how this wasn't exactly normal. Uo told them both to quit complaining and eat.

"So, Miss Uotani, I get the impression that you were close with Miss Honda's mother?"

"Oh yeah, she was a great friend." Uo answered after she finished her drink, "But, you know, she was my idol way before we met – she was a legend!"

"What do you mean a legend?" Kyo asked.

"Like I said: The Legendary Red Butterfly!" Uo said as if she explained everything.

"Like _I_ said: What are you talking about?"

Seeing that Kyo still wasn't understanding, Uo continued, "See, they said whenever Kyoko rode her bike all you'd see were her taillights just flash right by you like a red butterfly tearing ass into the night!"

"How do taillights look like a butterfly?" Kyo asked, completely confused.

"What?" Uo gasped outrage that he couldn't imagine it as vividly as she could, "You gotta be kidding! Don't you have any imagination in that big orange head of yours?"

"Shut up! I don't have to take that from you!"

I shoved a rice ball in his open mouth, "Settle down."

-0-0-0-

As soon as the sun began to set we packed up our things and parted ways from Uo and Hana, promising to see each other again tomorrow. I had asked Tohru and the others to go ahead home while I visited my dad's grave for a short visit since it was getting dark. Tohru wanted to come too of course, but I told her she could see him next time when there was more time in the day. But of course since it was getting dark, Kyo wanted to come with me…just so I don't have to go home alone in the dark.

"So what was your dad's name?" Kyo asked me as he opened the iron gate to the cemetery.

Walking past him, I led him through the tombstones to where my dad rested, "His name was Ryoma Kojima. He was the greatest dad ever…even though I was young I could always remember him being there for me from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep. Even though he was busy he would always take time to play with me, talk to me, take me on walks, sneak me snacks…everything." I sighed in bliss.

Kyo didn't seem to mind me rambling on. I think this is like the time on the roof when he talked about his master. "He sounds great." He stated when we came to dads grave.

There were some dry leaves and dirty cluttering on his tombstone. I brushed them off, "He was…I guess I was 'daddy's little girl' all the while. I just loved spending time with him. Sure, there was my mom but I just didn't have fun with her as I did with dad. Mom was more about dressing me up and making sure I was well behaved. Yeah we baked and did 'girl things' but it just wasn't fun…"

"How did he die?" He asked when there was a short pause.

I tried to explain as best as I could without choking up, "I think…it was my fault…" I confessed, "It was December and winter came a little early…it was snowing and because of early rain there was ice on the roads…" My mind flashed to the cold winter night when I was six when dad and I were coming home from the park after having a big snow ball fight, "…since it was so cold we didn't play outside that long. Mom didn't want to go out in the cold so she said she would stay home…however when we came home mom was there with another man…I couldn't see what happened exactly since I was behind dad's leg but I do remember a lot of yelling and screaming. Dad tossed the other guy out and yelled at mom. I was only six and I didn't know what was going on, I was scared that mom and dad were yelling. So like any scared kid, I ran out the house crying…I wasn't paying attention and somehow ran all the way back to the park and hid in the bushes." I wringed my fingers, "I know it sounds stupid, but my parents hardly yelled at each other so I was scared. Dad found me later…I wasn't sure how much time went by but he must've been looking for me for a long time because he didn't have his coat on. He was red and sweaty. But when he grabbed me and held me close, he was warm." I let out a shaken sigh, "It was so stupid of me…about two days later dad couldn't stop coughing and getting sick. Mom called the doctor and he told us that he caught pneumonia…"

(Yes, I researched that you don't catch pneumonia by running out in the cold without a coat, but this is more emotional!)

Tears welded up in my eyes as I remembered being by dads sick bed every moment that I could. I could never forget how sick and weak he looked. He could barely move or breathe. I held my sleeve near my nose; I could feel it running from all my sobbing. "H-he was so weak…! I c-couldn't do anything to help him…! We couldn't afford any medicine…!" I cried, I bloody cried.

Kyo placed a hand on my head and brought it to his chest. Since we couldn't hug this was the best he could do and I didn't mind.

"It wasn't your fault." He told me.

I shook my head in denial, "It is! If I hadn't run from the house he wouldn't have to come find me and he wouldn't have gotten sick!"

"You were a kid, you couldn't have known that!" He insisted.

"He was an adult; he shouldn't have gone after me!"

"Alright! That's it!" He growled wrapping his arms around me, catching me off guard when he poofs into a cat. I held out my hands to catch him but when I did she scratched me across the cheek!

"Ow!" I hissed, cupping my bleeding cheek, "That hurt you jackass!"

Kyo landed on all fours and hissed back at me, "Good! Because for once you were being stupid! You'd think your dad would want you acting like this? Like a spoiled brat? Listen to yourself! Your dad risked the cold because like any loving parent he cared about you and didn't give a damn about what would happen to him!"

I understood what he was saying. My dad was the type of parent to that would stop at nothing to find his missing child. "You didn't have to scratch me…" I whined childishly, wiping off the rest of the blood, "Now you're going to have to explain to Yuki and Tohru how I got these scratches on my cheek."

Kyo winced when he realized how much trouble he was in when he got home. "Dammit."

Smiling I picked him up and cradle him in my arms, "Don't worry; I'll make sure they'll go easy on you." I stroked the top of his head, taking pride that I felt him vibrating, "Thanks Kyo."

I heard him grumble in reply. That's good enough for me.

_'Dad…just like Kyoko I hope you're happy and smiling down on us. You probably see that I'm doing better and I hope you are too…who knows…maybe you met a lady angel friend up there…'_ I smiled down at Kyo finding him asleep. Bending down I grabbed his closes and slowly started making my way home, _'I'm glad that you got meet Kyo. He may seem hot-tempered but he's…well…a cat! But don't worry, he's taking real good care of me – all the Sohma's are. Someday soon I'm going to introduce you to the rest of them.'_

* * *

><p>The next day at school when we met up with Uo and Hana Tohru thanked them both for coming to visit with us.<p>

Uo assured her that they didn't mind, "we should be thanking you. Especially for all the food you made."

"Yes, Tohru, your cooking keeps getting better and better. You're going to make a fine bride one day…" Suddenly a gloom cloud appeared over Hana's head, she looked away sadly, "I'm going to cry."

"Oh, Hana…" We sighed. She was so odd sometimes.

"Tohru!"

Tohru and I turned around to see Momiji running towards us. He grabbed Tohru's arms and turned her around so he could hide behind her, "Hide me! Hide me!"

"Momiji?"

"We're playing 'Cops and Robbers' and I'm the robber!" He explained, laughing.

Wow, it's not every day we see high school students playing a kids game.

"Momiji!" A dark haired teen called from the window, smirking that he found the blonde haired Sohma, "Give it up! You're busted!" He hoisted himself through the window.

"They found me! Gotta run!" Momiji released Tohru and ran down the hallway with four guys chasing after him.

"Be careful!" Tohru called in concern, "Watch where you're going!"

"But I don't know why they're calling it 'Cops and Robbers'. Looks like a bunch of guys chasing a girl to me." Uo joked.

"He must look like his mother."

Uo saw her point, "Oh yeah, that's what they say isn't it? Guys look like their moms and girls look like their dads."

Hana nodded, "Yes, that's why Tohru and Zakura resemble their fathers more than their mothers."

_You know now that we're talking about parents come to think of it…I don't recall seeing Momiji's parents at the entrance ceremony…or any of the Sohmas parents…_

* * *

><p>"Oh, Zakura…" Ayame called popping into my work room, "Mine and I are going out to lunch for a bit. You'll watch the shop for a bit, won't you?"<p>

I looked up from the jacket I was hand stitching, "Yeah, no problem."

He left with a word of thanks and for once the shop was quiet and I could actually concentrate on the jacket I was working on. With Ayame constantly boasting and raving on other people's fantasies and his younger brother, I can't use the sewing machine. Why? Sewn my sleeves to a long skirt and almost got my fingers caught in it too.

Grabbing the jacket I brought it over to my sewing machine and sewn on the sleeves, stand up collar, ribbed elastic waistband and cuffs, and the pockets.

"Alright." I picked the jacket up and scanned it for any flaws. Every now and then I want to change my mind about what colors would be best that would suit Kyo. He already own a lot of black shirts and his uniform is black. Not that there's anything wrong with him wearing black, it look great on him, but I want something not black that would complement his hair, skin, and eyes. I almost wanted to make him several jackets just to cover all the bases but I decided to go with white and orange.

I went back to my table and picked up the little sewing kit Kyo gave me and embroidered his name across the left breast of the jacket.

Then a knock startled me, making me prick my finger, "Ow." I put my finger in my mouth and picked the jacket to attend to the customer, "Hello, welco-"

"Hey." Hatsuharu gave a nonchalant wave, "Is Aya here?"

Taking my finger out of my mouth I replied, "No, you missed him a while ago. He and Mine went out to lunch. Do you need me to leave him a message for you?"

Hatsuharu had a dazed look in his eyes when he didn't respond. He gets that look a lot. I can't tell if he's thinking or just daydreaming.

"Uh…Hatsuharu?" I waved, trying to refocus his attention.

"How's Yuki?" He asked randomly/

Okay? "Uh, doing fine I guess? He and Tohru have been spending time together and they're usually happy looking. You might be better off asking her."

"Okay. How's Kyo?"

"Doing good I suppose. He's still that same old Kyo. He's been going to the dojo a lot recently, but that's about all."

Hatsuharu nodded, "He must be waiting for sensei to come back."

"Oh, Kyo's master? Has he been away or something?" I asked. "Ever since Kyo mentioned him I have wanted to meet him. The way Kyo talks about him it's almost like he's Kyo's dad."

Hatsuharu chuckled, "In a way Kyo does see him as a dad…better than the one he has right now…" He mumbled in the end.

"What?" I asked in disbelief, "Kyo's dad…?"

"You probably don't know this but children who are cursed by the zodiac are born two months premature. It's scary for any mother to go through that but guess how hard it is for them to finally hold that baby and have it change into a strange animal. When a mother has a child who is cursed by the zodiac often she will often feel the need to be overly protective of it or reject it completely…"

My throat closed at the thought. Were any of them rejected by their mothers? Is that why none of them talked about their family?

"There are a few of us who were rejected by their parents…" Hatsuharu whispered, "Momiji was rejected by his mom and Kyo's mother killed herself."

"What?" I gasped. She killed herself? And sweet little Momiji was rejected?

Hatsuharu nodded, "It's terrible but that's the way it is with the Sohma family. Hatori had to erase Momiji's mom's memories because her health was spinning out of control."

By now I couldn't stomach to listen anymore. Tears were streaming down my face now. I couldn't believe it…I didn't want to believe it. I never thought this kind of thing could happen within the Sohma family. How naïve of me to think that nothing terrible like that could happen to them. I never gave a thought about it. I would never think…someone as happy and free spirited as Momiji going through such an ordeal…and Kyo…under all that hurt…does part of his constant anger come from that? What about Yuki and Hatsuharu?

He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, "I know it's hard to imagine, but think about the positives…Momiji, Yuki, and Kyo aren't as depressed as they used to be since we met you and Tohru." He gestures to the jacket on my arm, "And I'm sure Kyo's really going to appreciate this."

"How's he going to appreciate it if he's soaked with my tears?" I blubbered.

"It's the thought that counts." He takes the jacket out of my hands so I can wipe my eyes, "Anyway can I have one?"

With the last of my tears gone I held up my measuring tape, "What size are you?"


	15. Vacation's were I wanna be

Hello there everyone! First I would like to say thank you all for the positive feed back from the last chapter and a lot for the jacket idea, all the credit truthfully goes to 88dragon06 and her friend. Big claps and hugs for them! *applaude and hugs* Second, i would like to correct myself to 88dragon06, you were right, i checked fruits basket wiki and Haru is the one who made the accessories. whoopsie for me. Alrightie, and thirdly...i got nothing else to say...*shifts through note cards* hmm...nope not much else to say other than enjoy the chapter.

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scars of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>"Vacation's where I wanna be, party on the beach where the fun is free, I don't need a holiday, I just want to celebrate, cause I need a break, I need a vacation," I hummed to myself pulling the needle and thread through the fabric of a new skirt I'm making for Tohru, "Vacation's what I wanna do, party on the beach, fun for me and you, I don't need holiday, I want to celebrate, repeat after me I need a vacation."<p>

"How about you take a break from that and come get something to eat?" Kyo said from the door way of Tohru and my bedroom.

I jumped slightly from surprise, "Kyo! Don't sneak up on me like that!" I scolded him, "I could've pricked my finger…"

As usual he waved off my scolding and told me to hurry up and come down for dinner. Putting Tohru's skirt aside I followed him down to the living room where Tohru was already setting out the food for everyone. Tonight we were Kyo's favorite miso soup, fried fish and rice.

We all said our prayers and silently dug in. Since Shigure wasn't here to tease anyone we could have a quite awkward dinner…

The door to Shigure's office slid open and the devil himself pooped up in the door way, "Alright, here's an idea, let's go on a trip tomorrow."

Well that was out of the blue… "Huh?"

Shigure sat down at the table, "After all this is Golden Week it'd be a shame if we didn't do something special..."

Golden Week is a collection of four national holidays within seven days. People take vacations and travel around the country or abroad so tourist attractions are often crowded so trains, airports, ect are crowded too. If we're going on vacation it's going to be hard getting reservations and transportation.

"What kind of crazy talk are you spewing over there?" Kyo questioned, why Shigure would suddenly suggest a trip somewhere, "You drunk or something?"

Shigure humored him with a light laugh, "No and even if I had been drinking it wouldn't have affected me."

"Only because it always seems like you're drunk." Yuki commented.

"At any rate…" Shigure slightly stressed trying to get back on the topic, "We could go to one of the Sohma spas or perhaps the lake house…" He looked at Tohru who was setting up his dinner, "How does that sound girls?"

As per usual at the mention of us being treated to any type of luxury, Tohru slightly spazzes and immediately and politely protests.

"But we've already been on a trip to a hot spring, we couldn't' go on other one, it would be too much."

"And what a lovely trip it must've been. It's too bad I couldn't be there…," Shigure said slightly depressed despite the small smile on his face, "I so did want to go…now I guess I'll never take a trip with you girls…" Ok, I almost believed him until he threw in a whimper.

But it did have the desired effect on Tohru, "Okay! I'll go!" She's so naïve…

"Have you no shame?" Yuki and Kyo shouted at Shigure.

"Not really," Shigure answered honestly, "Any I assume the two of you will want to come? You wouldn't leave the three of us to spend all that time on our own, would you?"

Yuki and Kyo growled. It doesn't take a genius to figure out they're thinking of the worst case possible…

"Of course if we have to go alone that's fine with me."

Judging by the looks on their faces, they decided to come too.

"Good now that that's settled. I thought it would be fun to travel by car." We have a car? Don't worry, leave all the driving to me." Shigure can drive? All this time we've been walking to school?

"Shigure, do you even have a license?" Yuki asked slightly suspicious.

Strangely, Shigure paused before answering confidently, "Of course I have a license."

"Why'd you have to think about it?" Kyo, Yuki, and I asked.

-0-

So we all decided to go. The next morning we packed up our things, piled into the car and headed out towards the Sohma lake house…no Shigure isn't driving, it's Hatori. He's the only Sohma with a car. Sad isn't it?

-0-

Once we got there and all settled in, Tohru pulled me towards the window to check out the large lake that belonged to the Sohma's.

"Wow! It's so beautiful and big too!"

"Yeah, it looks so clear from here…" I chuckled, "Almost makes me want to go swimming."

Hatori and Yuki joined us by the window. Yuki came just to be near Tohru and Hatori…I guess to be away from Shigure?

"I don't know if it's really that impressive." Hatori said.

Tohru smiled anyway, "This is the first time either of us has ever been to a lake."

Shigure chuckled darkly from his spot on the sofa, "Just be sure Jason doesn't get you while you're here…"

Yuki glared at Shigure, "Don't even start with your nonsense."

"Jason?" Tohru asked confused.

I leaned in to whisper in her ear, "He's a fictional character in a horror film who goes around murdering people."

"Huh?"  
>Kyo was lying down on his side, "Jason…jason…why does that name sound familiar?"<p>

Shigure didn't miss a chance to mess with Kyo, "Jason is a giant bear that lives by the lake, you don't know much do you?" He teased.

"Shut up!" Kyo yelled, sitting up, "I knew that."

"No you didn't." Hatori stated, not taking his eyes off the lake.

"Why are we even talking about this?" Kyo asked him, "You didn't bring us all the way out here to tell us about a bear, did you?"

Yuki wanted to know too, "Yes, why did you bring us here? I suddenly get the feeling you're up to something."

Shigure sighed tiredly, as if annoyed by the questioning, "You two, always so suspicious, I just wanted everyone to have a relaxing time at the lake and you think I'm up to something. Instead of standing around sniffing out conspiracy why don't you find a more productive use of your time, like taking the girls for a walk?" After suggesting that it got eerily quiet… "Oh, why the long faces you two? Is a walk so terrible?"

"It's alright, Tohru and I can go by ourselves."

Shigure frowned, "You know…it's just too tense in here. We could use someone to lighten the mood." Then he smiled, "I know! I'll call Aya!"

I grimaced, "Oh please no!"

By the time his hand reached the phone, Kyo and Yuki were standing over him with death raging off of them…

"If you do that…"

"I'll make you eat that phone…"

Knowing the threat was real, Shigure takes his hand off the phone.

-0-

'This is…tense…' I couldn't help but think to myself. I didn't want to say anything out loud, but everyone was being so darn quite today! 'What made the boys so quite? They haven't been arguing lately either! What the heck changed?' I looked at Tohru's face and a look of dread passed through her face before she started bowing for no reason.

"A-ah!" She tried to voice, causing all of us to stop and look at her, "I'm very sorry." She bowed her head in apology, "I don't know what happened but if it was something I said or something I did that made you all upset, please, just tell me."

"Miss Honda? What brought this on all of a sudden?" Yuki asked her.

"Yeah, really?" Kyo asked, "What the hell are you talkin-" He took a step forward and suddenly slipped at an angle and fell on his butt. "Agh!"

"Kyo!" Tohru yelp worriedly.

I ran over to him, "you okay?"

"Dammit!" he cursed, moving his legs, "I'm fine I just stepped in a hole."

We looked at the hole he stepped in. The grass was flattened in, giving it a darker tone. Tohru and Kyo looked at it closely and Tohru deducted that it looked like a paw print more pacifically bare print…

"It's Jason!" She panicked, turning pale, "Jason!"

Kyo stood on his feet looking around, "Jason? Where?"

Yuki and I calmly told them that it's not Jason, but we should know that when those two start panicking in some sort of way they have a hard time listening to sense, especially Tohru.

"This is terrible! We have to go back!" She cried, slowly backing again towards the edge of a steep hill.

In all her panicking she didn't feel her foot inching towards the edge, "Tohru!" I ran over to her and grabbed her arm to stop her, but in my own haste my foot slipped instead. Over the blood pumping in my ears I could hear Yuki and Kyo yelling our names. I was too scared to look at the oncoming ground so I closed my eyes tightly and the moment that I did I felt two strong arms around me for a second before we all collided on a tree trunk. I didn't want to open my eyes yet because I was content laying where I was. For all I know if we all get up again the tree might fall on us or something. What else can go wrong?

"I'm sorry!" Tohru whimpers wiping the tears out of her eyes, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Sometimes I just want to lock her in a room so things like this don't happen. We were only to go on a simple walk…I know it's not her fault though.

"Miss Honda! Miss Kojima!" Yuki called from her lower back, "Are you hurt at all?"

I slowly sat up so I wasn't crushing Kyo with my chest, "I think we're fine." In their haste to help us the boys grabbed us, but ended up transforming when they broke our fall.

"Just watch where you step next time." Kyo grumbled, shaking out his fur.

"I know! I know!" Tohru dried the rest of her tears, "We'll go get your clothes." Tohru said as she started to climb the hill, "We'll be right back." She wanted to make up for her accident. I followed her up the hill, collecting any clothes that she missed.

"Watch where you step?" Yuki mocked Kyo, "Oh that's very good advice coming from the one who tripped first, moron."

"Hey! Like you're one to talk! We wouldn't have gotten in this mess if you hadn't gotten in my way! The only reason I transformed is because I tripped over your clumsy ass!"

"Clumsy? You're the one who trained all that time in the mountains and you can't even walk down a path!"

"I can too! I survived out here for four months! You wouldn't even last two days! You're on my turf now so shut up and pay attention – you might learn something!"

"What can I learn from a stupid cat like you?" As I picked up Yuki's pants I couldn't believe my ears when I heard them arguing. I don't know why but it was the best sound I've heard all day. I tapped Tohru on the shoulder and pointed to the arguing pair down the hill. The small smile on her face told me that she was just as happy as I was to see them arguing again. "You didn't even know that Jason really isn't a bear- he's a character in a horror film!"

"Yeah? So what if I didn't? Why would I waste my time watching a dumb movie about a bear?"

"…You truly are an idiot."

"Okay! That does it!" Kyo chased Yuki part way up the tree, using his claws to hang on to the bark. He growled when he saw Yuki lounging around on the branch with other rats, practically mocking him, "Today's the day rat boy once I get up there you're dead."

"Oh good, I haven't heard that line in a while."

"If you're so tough why don't you come down here and fight you coward?"

"What's your hurry? Afraid you won't beat me once we change back?"

Kyo continued to hiss, "Look at you…calling all your little rat friends to help you huh?"

Tiredly, Yuki laid back against the tree, "You know I didn't call them they just decided to come out on their own. But I don't seeing any cats coming to help you, I guess you don't have no friends here either."

"Who cares? I'll take you out all by myself! C'mon!"

Unable to help it any longer, Tohru and I collapsed in a fit of giggles. We didn't care how silly we probably looked we were just happy they were arguing again.

"Miss Honda? Miss Kojima?" Yuki scurried over towards us on his little legs along with Kyo.

"Why are you laughing?" Kyo asked us, a little weirded out.

"We're sorry for laughing." Tohru said once her giggles subsided, "I guess there's nothing really funny about two people funny."

"But you two seemed so tense and you haven't been fighting lately that we got worried." I said, "But now that we see you two fighting again we're relieved that you're back to your old selves."

For some reason Yuki tilted his head down with guilt in his eyes, "Girls, listen, about what you said earlier before we all fell, I was never upset with any of you – I'm sorry if I seemed angry. I just had I a lot on my mind is all." He confessed sincerely, "It had nothing to do with the two of you." He moved closer to Tohru, "I usually don't let people see me that way, but around you I've gotten to feel so comfortable that I completely let my guard down…" Tohru let out a small gasp and a small blush came to her face. "I hadn't even realized I done it. If anything it shows how much I've come to like you."

I smiled knowingly at Tohru's cherry red face when Yuki's little paws touched her bare knee. I knew there was something going on between them. Kyo even looked away awkwardly.

"I'm sorry I made you worry." Yuki apologized looking at her with those innocent purple eyes that absolutely made her melt.

I turned to Kyo, "So what about you?"

Kyo turned his head slightly towards us, "…yeah, same here. I wasn't mad at you either. I guess I just had a lot of other stuff on my mind too."

Aw. I reached out and scratched Kyo under his chin.

"Small mind that it is…" Yuki whispered.

Kyo heard him and reached to claw him, "You damn rat!"

Suddenly they transformed back into their naked glory. Shrieking, we threw them their clothes and ran behind the trees to give them some privacy. You'd think we'd be used to them being naked, nope.

-0-

Tohru and I waited patiently in the brush for Yuki and Kyo to finish getting dress.

Tohru chuckled uneasily, putting her hand on her head, "You know I feel that I should apologize."

"Tohru, you always apologize," I told her, "Why do you feel the need to this time?"

"I feel like a made a big deal out of nothing, but I'm glad that things happen the way they did…I'm happy to know that they feel comfortable enough around us that they let their guard down sometimes." She said, "I guess I was just worried that something changed between all of us."

I hummed to myself with a small smile, 'Oh, I think something has changed…'

"Nothing's changed except that now that I hate him more than ever." Kyo and Yuki stated at the same time while pointing to one another.

Cue awkward silence and then yelling. Yup, nothing changed between them but all of us as a whole? Something has changed…something good.

-0-0- Day 2 -0-0-

The next morning after a good breakfast we decided to try and actually get to the lake this time. Tohru was taking her time getting ready after putting the dishes away and I was looking out the window with Kyo, who was telling me another way for us to get to the lake and it wouldn't take as much time. I couldn't wait to start walking. Just standing by the window and feeling that warm fresh air I wanted to get going!

"Miss. Honda, are you ready to go?" Yuki asked as Tohru skipped down the steps and to his side.

"Uh-huh." She nodded, "All set."

Shigure was on his stomach reading the paper as usual, "So you're all going to the lake? Better be careful Kyo, don't fall in."

Kyo turned his head and hissed at him, "Like I would!" Tohru would most likely be the one to fall in.

Tohru looked past Yuki to see Hatori on the couch, "Oh, good-bye Hatori! See you in a little while…"

"…"

When he didn't respond we all looked towards the couch to see the Hatori was sleeping! I don't know why but it's so strange seeing him asleep like this…so peaceful and free of burden. I couldn't help but giggle how he looked a little like my dad when he's taking a nap on the couch with a book on his stomach…I remember I used to lay on my dad's stomach with him and he would read the book out loud to me.

"I didn't think Hatori slept." Kyo commented just as amazed as we were to see Hatori sleeping in front of us.

"Really, Kyo, he's only human." Shigure chided, "he has to sleep sometimes."

"I know that, that's not what I meant." Kyo said surprisingly softly, probably being respectful that Hatori is sleeping, "I'm just saying he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who falls asleep in front of people."

Shigure sighed in agreement, "Ah, it is unusual, I'll give you that."

Tohru came to my side with a green blanket and handed it to me, "I found a blanket, I'd hate for him to catch a cold or anything."

I took the blanket from her and spread it out on top of Hatori, "Yeah, being a doctor that would suck."

Shigure smiled at us, "You girls truly are amazing. I envy the man that marries the two of you one day."

Tohru waved her hands flustered, "Oh no! Really!"

"Oh, yes, you deserve our compliments!" Oh please no. "You can all learn something from these beautiful souls."

…

…

…

"Hahahaha! What's the matter you all seem so surprised."

"It's because you appear out of nowhere!" Yuki shouted at his brother.

"And you're the last person we want to see! How the hell did you get in here?"

Didn't we lock the door?

"Come now, Kyo, is it so difficult to figure out?" Ayame asked him, much in the manner Shigure did when Kyo commented about Hatori sleeping, "If your brain was working you would know I came through the door, naturally."

"Dammit! Don't you even start with me!"

I held my hand up as a wave, "Hey, boss."

Yuki shielded Tohru and I with his body, "No, you'll only encourage him – and he's not staying!"

"Children, I understand my sudden arrival has you all delirious with excitement but I should tell you right now I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for a special someone."

Special someone, huh. Only one person would ever call Ayame. We all turned to Shigure who innocently tried to deny the accusations. Ayame only added fuel to the fire when he started his dramatic acting that only he and Shigure understood…what's worse is that Shigure went along with it. Having enough of it, Kyo demanded to know why Ayame was even here, but as usual Ayame didn't give a straight answer. Kyo practically begged him to go away, but Ayame refused to do so until he did something important. He grabbed Yuki's hand and spouted that this was a good opportunity for them to deepen their bonds as brothers. Yuki promptly replied that he would drown him in the lake. Ayame didn't mind as long as they spent quality time together. Yuki replied that he should drown himself. This wasn't going anywhere.

Thankfully Hatori had awaken and put a stop to Ayame, "After everything I've told you, you're still causing trouble."

"Oh, Hatori, we thought you were sleeping." Now I felt bad that we woke him up, he still looks tired.

"I was but how can anyone sleep with all this noise?" He replied.

"Well, good morning, Harii!" Ayame deliberately shouted, making Hatori plug his ears.

"Sorry about waking you up!" Shigure said s equally as loud.

"I guess we didn't realize we were being so loud! Hahaha!"

"Oh, shut up." Hatori grumbled, "Ayame, what are you doing here?"

And as easy as that Ayame launched into a long detailed explanation of how he found out that all of us were here and he wanted to come too.

"Bastard."

"Oh, sure, Hatori asks and he spills his guts."

Hatori sighed, "In any event," He turned towards us, "Zakura, weren't you all planning on going to the lake."

We all stared awkwardly at each other. Thanks to Ayame we completely forgot what we were supposed to be doing. Ayame tried to volunteer to protect us against weirdoes but we politely declined. Who would really come all the way out here anyway? It's all Sohma property.

-0-

And so without much incident we all made it to the lake in one piece and it was all worthwhile. Seeing the beautiful lake from the window was one thing, but seeing it up close with the sun shining down on it, giving it a sparking look, plus with the mountains in the back, was amazing.

I streached my arms out wide, soaking up the suns warm rays, "Hmmm, this is the life!"

Tohru nodded in agreement, "Hm-mm, a gorgeous view like this I almost can't help but smile."

When I didn't hear the boys opinions I turned around to see the both of them brooding. Kyo had his arms crossed and Yuki was hanging onto his right arm, I noticed he did that when he's nervous or depressed, "What's with you two?"

"That bastard's going to be here all night." Yuki grumbled angrily.

"He's your brother isn't he?" Kyo retorted, "So do something about it."

Yuki glared off to the side, "Believe me if could I would. I hate the way he always hides behind Shigure."

I sensed an argument coming by the way Kyo's eyes met Yuki's, "Yeah, that's a good one. You use Shigure to hide from Akito."

Yuki met Kyo's glare with one of his own, "That's not the same at all! You should shut up until you know what you're talking about!"

Kyo turned to face him, "I didn't even want to know that much! I can't get away from you – you're every damn place I go!"

Why are they fighting now? They were doing so great until now.

"So why don't you disappear for another four months?"

Tohru went to Yuki's side to calm him down while I went to Kyo's side, but I don't think they were hearing us over their own yelling.

"I would love to disappear! I'd rather be anywhere else in the world right now than this stupid lake!"

"You think I want to be here? Coming to the lake was the worst mistake of my life!"

I let out an annoyed groan, '…if they didn't want to be here then why didn't they say anything in the first place?' I reached into my pant pocket and pulled out a small whistle that Momiji gave me, he won it from a crane machine, and blew it in it.

_Tweeeeeeet~!_

They stopped yelling to look at me. Good.

I put the whistle back into my pocket and placed my hands on my hips, "Look, Ayame being here is bad enough, but you two constantly arguing over petty things is even worse. We all came out here to relax and have a good time out here and so far that's not happening. And if you two really didn't want to come out here, especially together with us, then you should've said so."

My lecture left them slightly speechless and guilt shown on their faces. Tohru and I really wanted everyone to have a good time out here and relax, but it seems like no matter what something wrong happens.

"You're right…" Yuki frowned, "I didn't mean that coming to the lake with you two was bad."

"Don't get me wrong." Kyo added, "I just didn't want to be here with this guy."

I crossed my arms stubbornly, "Well, either way, we're all here together so we're going to make the best of it." I stated firmly grabbing their arms and pulling them towards the edge of the lake where we were originally standing. "Now let's all put on a happy face and walk along the shore before we go back."

"Sure…"

"Sure…"

-0-

"Ah! So they've returned!" Ayame exclaimed happily, standing in front of the door with his arms open wide as if waiting for a hug, "Welcome back, Yuki, Zakura, and young friends!"

"We're back safe and sound."

Ayame lowered his arms, "Yuki I was just talking to Harii and he gave me wonderful advice. From now on I'm going to impress you with my stead-fast determination."

We were all confused as to what he was talking about.

"What determination?"

Ayame smiled proudly, "Simple. My determination to forge a bond with my younger brother, this time I will not give up until I succeed!" Being taller, Ayame pointed down on Yuki's head, "Yuki! As your older brother I order you to respect me!"

…he's going to regret that…

Needless to say, I covered Tohru's eyes to shield her from the painful thrashing Yuki was giving Ayame. "Go to hell!" Yuki shouted.

I uncovered Tohru's eye when Ayame fell to the ground in a crippled heap. She quickly ran over to him to help him up, only to make him transform into snake.

"Oh no! I turned him into a snake! What should we do?"

Yuki grabbed Ayame by his tail and twirled him around like a lasso.

"I think we're going to lose him for a while." Kyo stated with his hands on his hips.

Yuki released Ayame into the air and we watched Ayame sail over the trees towards the lake…well the rest of us watched while Tohru became a panicking mess. I assured her not to worry. If there's one thing that I do know about Ayame is that he can be stubborn if he wants to be and he won't be gone for long…unfortunately…


	16. Eye of the Tiger

(c) Natsuki Takaya

* * *

><p>I was so happy when you smiled<p>

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scars of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p>And now to introduce a sweet little tiger that should be a little sister of mine! XD I just want to hold and squeeze her!<p>

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

I let out a loud moan as I rolled over on my stomach, bored out of my mind, _'Tohru's taking too long with Yuki, Kyo's hiding somewhere from the rain and Shigure's reading the boring paper as usual.'_ I stared out the open sliding door to look at the rain, _'Only two more days left of vacation…and I'm stuck here alone.'_ I flopped back over on my back, _'Ah well, it was a nice vacation while it lasted. It was fun talking with Hatori for a while when Ayame and Shigure aren't annoying him.'_ I had found that the more I talked with Hatori the more I got to see the slightest bit of his true character under that cold façade and he reminded me more of my dad…_'he can even lecture me like my dad.'_

To my slight disappointment the rain began to stop and the sun was starting to come out. If it gets dry enough outside I figured I could start training outside while waiting for everyone to get back.

"We're home!" Tohru called through the front door.

I leapt to my feet and rushed to the door to embrace her, but stopped cold when I noticed her hand was bleeding…bleeding!

"Tohru!" I grabbed her hand with utter care, "What happened to your hand?"

Yuki came in with soaking wet Hatsuharu in tow who was holding a baby tiger in his white coat, "Miss Kojima, we can explain what happened but we need to bandage Miss Honda's hand."

I tried to register everything into my mind at once and nodded anyway, leading them into the living room and dashed into the bathroom to grab a towel and first aid kit. When I got back I handed both items to Haru and stared at the baby tiger that appeared to be sulking in the far corner of the room. A few moments later Shigure came into the room to find Hatsuharu wrapping Tohru's hand.

"Oh my, you've been bitten."

Tohru appeared to be slightly shaken by the event, "Uh-uh-huh."

Yuki turned to the baby tiger in the corner, "Kisa, you apologize to her." Yuki demanded softly yet firmly. Was she a pet or a member of the Zodiac? The Sohma's are rich I wouldn't be surprised if they kept exotic pets. "Kisa!"

"Yuki, she won't be able to answer," Shigure said.

I turned to him confused, "Is there something wrong with her?"

"She doesn't speak. She hasn't said a word since right after she started middle school," Haru told us, pulling the towel off his head, "And from what Hatori says the problem is all in her mind. He said that for some reason she locked all her words…and after she stopped talking she stopped going to school…and today she ran away from home. That's why I went out looking for her and by the time I found her she had already transformed."

I looked at Kisa from her sulking position I could tell, "She's under too much stress…"

"But why?" Yuki wondered softly, "What could've caused her to act this way?"

"She was picked on." Haru answered.

Sympathy and angered filled my body, if there's another thing I can't stand – it's bullying!

Kisa ran across the room and chomped down on Hatsuharu's arm in retaliation. Haru's didn't show that it hurt him, instead he stared down at Kisa, "That hurts." He stated to her firmly, "What is it? Are you angry now? You think I should mind my own business, is that it? You made this my business…do you have any idea how worried I was about you? Or your mother? Do you know she's still out there looking for you right now?"

Kisa closed her eyes, released Haru's arm and ran out the room. Worriedly Tohru and I ran out to look for her.

-0-

"Kisa!" Tohru called out, "Kisa!"

I looked through the bushes in the yard, "Come out, Kisa!" She's so small she could hide anywhere. Leaving the bushes I looked back at the house, looking along the crannies that she could hide in. She seemed to like to sulk in corners. "Kisa?" I saw a tan striped tail sticking out. Waving Tohru over, we cautiously approached her.

Unfortunately Tohru isn't good with being cautious; in her carelessness Kisa bit her hand again. Tohru let out a startled cry as she broke out in a panic sweat and tears of pain streamed down her face. She tried to claim that it didn't hurt her at all, but I've seen her hand and Haru's arm when she bit them, the little tiger's got sharp teeth.

I placed a hand on the scruff of her neck, "Hey now, no biting people when you're upset. Let go of her hand."

"Kisa?" A soft female voice came from behind us. We were startled when she kneeled next to us, string at Kisa emotionlessly, "Kisa? Mother's here now."

This is her mother?

"Shigure was kind enough to call me. Tell me…why are you doing this? Why do you want to cause nothing but trouble for everyone around you? What were you thinking? Do you enjoy hurting me like this?"

_'Hurting her?'_ I thought confused, surely this was the first time Kisa ever ran away but the way her mother says it she acts like she committed a crime. When I ran away and dad found me, he scolded and told me to never run away because it scared him so much, _'Wait, didn't Hatsuharu tell me something like this? Children cursed by the zodiac either have over protective parents or parents that reject them completely. So could Kisa's mom be one of those over protective mothers? Surely now she isn't going to reject her just because she's scared.'_

"Why?" Her mother asked softly, "Why didn't you tell me the other kids were picking on you? Why did you run away from home? Why didn't you say anything? I'm tired Kisa. I-I've had it."

Timidly Tohru spoke up before I could, "It could be that she didn't know how to tell you…or maybe she was worried about what you might think…or she thought she might disappoint you…maybe she was afraid and didn't want you to know. She'd put on her bravest face and tried to be strong in front of everyone…"

I let out a small scoff. I remember this…Tohru and I had a moment like this when we were kids…Tohru was often teased and not allowed to play with the other kids. She never told me or her mom about it, I had to find out on my own and when I confronted her about it…she broke down and cried. "She knew…she knew she wasn't strong." I whispered, talking about Kisa and Tohru, "The more she tried to hide it the more ashamed she felt. She probably began to hate herself and probably thought you would hate her too if you found out. That's why she couldn't say anything to you or anyone else…" I leaned my head on Tohru's shoulder, "…because the thing she feared the most was her own mother rejecting her…that she would be hated by someone she loved…"

To our surprise after a few moments that I spoke, Kisa transformed back and when the purple smoke cleared we saw the real Kisa for the first time. An adorable little girl with brown-gold eyes and golden hair that resembled her fur with two locks of her hair that are longer than the rest framing her face. Tears were streaming down her face as she took Tohru's bandaged hand and brought it close to her face, rubbing it gently.

We could tell that it was her sweet way of saying she was sorry for biting her. Lifting my head from Tohru's shoulder I allowed her to take her yellow open sweater off and wrap it around the tiny girl.

"Ah!" The tiny girl pushed against Tohru's chest, sobbing.

Tohru and I wrapped our arms around her in comfort.

-0-

After a good long talk and a nice hot dinner, it was decided that Kisa would stay at Shigure's house until she was comfortable to start going to school again. Her mother was hesitant but she gave in eventually after Hatsuharu convinced her that it would be good of them to have a little space. After that Hatori came to take them home while Tohru and I got Kisa in a hot bath, pajamas, and into bed…on the floor…on Tohru's lap. I wanted to stay with her and watched her but Yuki came in and said he would watch her with Tohru. I guess Kisa didn't need so many people watching her so I excused myself to go downstairs to get a drink. Imagine my surprise when Kyo came waltzing out the kitchen with a towel around his shoulders and a water bottle in his hand, "Hey, what's going on?"

I walked over to the fridge to grab myself a water bottle, "Not much, we just got a new house guest."

"Who?"

I unscrewed the cap and took a sip before answering, "Kisa."

Kyo walked out of the kitchen to confirm it with Shigure, "So what's the deal? Kisa's here?"

Didn't I just say that?

"Some things came up, she'll be staying with us for a while." Shigure told him, reinstating what I just told him.

"What sort of things?"

I poked him in the back with my water bottle, "Kisa and her mom were a bit under stress so we all thought it would be a good idea to give them some time apart. That means you be on your best behavior."

He moved away from me to escape my prodding, "Yeah, ok, so where is she hiding?"

Shigure smiled, "Right now she's clinging to Tohru."

I poked my finger into Kyo's arm, a firm frown on my face, "With that being said, no picking on sweet little Kisa. She's as meek as a mouse and I don't want you bullying her with your bad temper."

Kyo swatted my hand away annoyed, "What are you talking about? I'm not going to bother her."

"Alright then, if you do I get automatic permission to kick you in the shins on her behalf."

"What?"

-0-0-0-0-

Three days later...that after noon…

"Kisa! Can you come here please?" I called out towards the steps before quickly going back into our room to hold one of the red ribbons on the Lolita dress I was making for Kisa. I had an Ayame moment when she shyly woke me up this morning; she was so adorable that I had an epiphany to make a dress for her.

I heard her little footsteps padding up the hallway and she came into the room and dutifully stood at my side.

"I need your opinion for this dress," I told her holding out three red ribbons, "More or less ribbons?" I held three ribbons in one hand and one ribbon in the other.

She pointed to the one with more ribbons.

I nodded in approval, "Okay, where do you think these ribbons should go?" It's a dress for her so I want every one of her opinions to make it perfect for her.

Smiling softly she pointed to neckline of the dress, just below the lacey collar, then to the waistline of the dress, and on the left and right side.

"Yes! That's perfect!" I exclaimed happily, pulling her into a hug, she's so adorable I couldn't resist, "You've got a good eye for fashion! You should be my assistant!" I released her and handed her the ribbons, "Hold these, please." I pulled out a pin from the pin cushion on my wrist and marked where she wanted the ribbons, "There. Thanks for all your help, Kisa."

She nodded once and her tiger ears perked up, much like Kyo's, when she heard the toilet flush downstairs. She held her hands out for me to take the ribbons and when I did, she quickly scampered off to be by Tohru's side.

For the three days that Kisa started staying with us she has been following the both of us everywhere we go, helping out the chores and such. When Tohru's occupied, she would help me and if I'm occupied she would help Tohru. And we're not complaining at all, it just means she likes us and she's too adorable to be annoyed or upset with.

"She's like a little duckling, isn't she?" Shigure asked us, watching Kisa follow Tohru around outside.

I stood at the sliding door with Kyo to watch them, "It's so cute."

Kyo put his hands in his pockets, "I don't know. Seems pretty annoying if you ask me."

Tohru stopped walking suddenly to pull Kisa into a hug much like I did before, "That's it! I love you!"

Kyo and Shigure sweatdropped at the scene, "I don't think Tohru minds."

"Yeah, why am I not surprised?" I guess he doesn't like warm fuzzy moments, "Uh, hey, dinner?"

Tohru snapped out of it, "Oh, right, dinner!" She looked down at Kisa, "So Kisa, what do you think we should have to eat tonight."

However just like always, whenever we ask Kisa about what she wants, she would open her mouth to reply but no words would come out.

"Oh come on." Kyo told her, "It's not that hard. Can't you say what you want to eat?"

I kicked Kyo in the shins taking satisfaction in the pained glare he sent me.

"What the hell?"  
>I crossed my arms at him, "Didn't I say to not bully her?"<p>

Shigure flopped on Kyo's back, "Don't listen to dumb old Kyo." Shigure told Kisa, "It's alright if you rather not decide! After all 'Que sera sera' as they say."

"Get off me!" Kyo growled trying to toss Shigure off his back.

Shigure laughed it off naturally, "I'm sorry, am I bothering you?"

"What do you think?"

"Oh thinking now, are we?"

I stepped off the veranda to stand near Kisa, "It's alright if you don't want to answer yet. You'll talk when you're ready to talk, okay?" Kisa turned her head and stared at me with those cute honey-brown eyes, "And if anyone continues to give you problems about it, just tell me and I'll set them straight, alright?" And that was a promise, just as I looked out for Tohru when she was bullied, I would look out for Kisa just the same.

"Oh I know!" Tohru ran into the house and came back with a piece of paper with a ladder design on it, "Ta-da! We'll let fate decide!" She laid the paper on the floor for everyone to see.

"Ah, I know this game, the old fortune ladders." Shigure said.

Tohru smiled at Kisa, "Now Kisa you just point to whichever one you like the best!"

Kisa smiled and pointed to the last one. Tohru smiled and used her finger to trace the lines all the way to the end. "And the winner is…for dinner tonight it's stewed leeks!"

Kyo paled in disgust, "What is this? You guys trying to kill me or something?"

Tohru began to panic because she now remembered that Kyo absolutely hated leeks. Kyo soothed her panic by telling her to make it the best she can even though we all know that I'll be making him grilled Salom in the end.

Kisa might not be able to talk now but I know we'll hear her sweet little voice in no time.

-0-

"But it's not like Kisa can stay there forever…" Momiji pointed out to us during our break time on the roof at school, "It's just going to make it harder for her to go back to school."

I leaned against the wall next to Hatsuharu, "I wonder what she is going to do…if she ever gets over this…"

"I bet she's wondering the same thing herself." Hatsuharu said, "And I bet she's even more worried about it then we are. Not like she would let us know about it, but that's kinda what got her into this mess in the first place."

Yuki was standing further away from the rest of us, looking out to the court yard through the chained gate, "So, what about her mother?"

"Well, Kisa's mom is doing a better." Tohru answered hesitantly, "I think…I got a phone call from her this morning. She wanted to know how Kisa was doing.

Momiji perked up a bit at the news, "That's good, right? Cause that means she's still thinking about her."

I nodded encouragingly. It's true that it was something to be happy about since I too learned that those possessed by the zodiac can be rejected from their parents. If Kisa's mom is still thinking about Kisa then there's hope for them.

"But that still leaves one question." Yuki said softly, "Why do you think her classmates were picking on her?"

I crossed my arms in thought, "There could be many reasons when it comes to bullies. It could be because she's so nice and shy that kids thought it would be easy to pick on her."

Momiji hung his head slightly, "I think it had something to do with how she looked. You know, her hair and her eyes."

I tapped my foot in annoyance, "Her hair and eyes are adorable. There's nothing wrong with them. They're an adorable shade of honey brown."

"Yes, but she looked different from everyone, so they made fun of her." Momiji continued.

Hatsuharu rubbed a strand of his white hair after hearing his statement, "I guess that's just another part of the zodiac curse for those of us with different colored hair." He stopped rubbing his hair, "I used to get made fun of a lot."

Yuki leaned against the gate with his arms crossed, "Yes, but whenever the other kids tried to pick on you, you would go black and chase them round the schoolyard." He said stating the difference between his teasing and Kisa's. Kisa can't defend herself against teasing like Hatsuharu can.

"It's better than Kyo." Hatsuharu lazily insisted that he wasn't all that bad when it came to being teased at, "He would actually beat them half to death."

"Supposedly Kisa tried to defend herself too," Momiji said softly, "But when they saw they couldn't get to her they all started to ignore her and when Kisa would say something they would stop ignoring her just long enough to laugh at her…they laughed at everything she said…" He trailed off quietly, wondering how he would've dealt with it if every time he spoke someone would laugh at him.

I clenched my fists in anger. 'How petty do you have to be to laugh at someone just for being a little bit different from everyone else? So what if she had different colored hair and eyes? It's not like she could've helped it!' I shook my head lightly to rid some of the anger I built up just thinking about the stuck up little girls who think they're better than Kisa, 'No wonder she stopped talking. It must've gotten harder and harder for her to say anything at all. She was trapped between talking and not talking…poor Kisa…'

The school bell rang signaling that it was time to go back to class. Yuki went over to Momiji to give him a handkerchief to wipe the tears from his eyes and I went over to give one to Tohru. They were most likely crying over the same reason.

"Yuki." Hatsuharu held up a folded note for him to see, "I'm going to Shigure's house with you after school. I have to deliver a letter from Kisa's homeroom teacher." He waved the note as he walked towards the door that lead to the roof, "We'll probably wanna gag when we read it."

'Gag?' I wondered, grabbing Momiji's hand to walk him to class while Yuki and Tohru stayed behind to talk for a bit before walking back to class. I wanted to skip work to go home with them to see what the note said, but according to Ayame I was starting to get a bit tardy with showing up to work and if I skip again I was going to be on advertising duty again. As much as I like wearing the cosplay I make, I don't like wearing some of them out in public, no matter how much positive feedback I get, it's embarrassing.

-0-

_"Let's all play a game together. We're going to play Fruits Basket. Everyone pick a fruit."_

_"Apple!"_

_"Orange!"_

_"Banna!"_

_"Peach!"_

_"Pear!"_

_ A boy walked up to Tohru and pointed at her, "Tohru, you can be the riceball!"_

_He said it in a condescending tone that made me mad and Tohru just sat there in her little chair with the same carefree goofy grin on her face._

_"Ooh, riceball? That sounds yummy!"_

_'She's such a dummy! Doesn't she know that a riceball isn't a fruit?' I wondered glaring harder at her, 'Doesn't she realize that the kids are leaving her out of the game?' The more I stared at her with that dumb grin on her face the more annoyed I got. 'How can she just sit there?'_

_The same boy that called her a riceball approached me next. "Zakura you can be a plum."_

_I glared at him and crossed my arms, "Forget it! I don't want to play this stupid game if everyone can't play."_

_This didn't seem to matter however when the teacher started the game and one by one all the fruits were being called and everyone started to play together, everyone except the riceball. No one called her and she still sat there with that smile._

_How slow can she be? She's the only one not playing and she's still smiling! Why is she smiling? She's always smiling no matter how much the other kids bully and tease her, she takes it all with a grin…She's such a…a…_

_"Riceball!" I yelled at her and pointed to her face._

_She stared at me in surprise. For a moment I felt stupid calling on her, but when she jumped to her feet and smiled even brighter, I didn't feel as bad. Especially when she came up to me and grabbed my hand…I could tell she was a nice girl._

_"You can't let other kids bully and tease you all the time." I told her as seriously as I could._

_"Eh?" She tilted her head in confusion. Did she really not understand when she's being teased? Left out?_

_"You're a really nice girl, you always share and help people, and you're really clumsy sometimes!" I told her, "I don't know if you know or not but you're very easy to bully. Don't let your guard down like that or else people will continue to ignore you."_

_"But you didn't ignore me." She said._

_"That's because-!" I struggled to find a reason why I didn't ignore her. I mean, yeah her mom has let me stay with them sometimes, but I never really bothered with her…but when she puts others before herself its sometimes hard to ignore people like that, "That's because you're always there…" I finished lamely as if that answered everything._

_She's so sweet and innocent…she has this light I can't help but see in her. Truthfully she's the only kid my age who talks to me since my mom abandoned me and my dad died. I shut everyone out and kept them at a distance but Tohru unknowingly became someone I couldn't help but acknowledged. Her kindness is what struck me the most…her unique quality to accept everyone around her…that's going to hurt her one day…_

_"Tohru, until you learn to stop letting people bully you I'm going to be your body guard against bullies."_

_"Bodyguard? What does that mean?" She asked confused before awe came on her face, Oh! You're going to be my friend?"_

_I nodded my head, "Yes, but only until you learn to defend yourself against bullies!"_

_You can never like yourself until you see qualities in yourself that others see in you. I never thought I would find a friend in someone or find a friend in myself until Tohru and her mom showed me that you can't like yourself until you like others or others like you._

-0-

When I had returned home I went straight to my room and tossed the clothes I brought home to finish on the side of my bed. It was a long day of filling out orders, making adjustments, selling, restocking, and just dealing with Ayame in general. I needed a hot bath and something to eat before I even think about starting homework.

"Big sister?" A soft little timid voice called from the door way.

I whirled around on my heel to see Kisa standing in the doorway with a small smile on her face! She was smiling on her own! Wait, she talked on her own! She called me big sister! That's it, I can't hold back anymore!

"Kisa!" I cried happily, pulling her into a tight hug, "Aw, your voice is so adorable and sweet!" I told her honestly, kneeling down to her height, "You really do have a wonderful voice Kisa, don't lock it away ever again, okay?"

With a small blush she nodded, "Okay, I've decided to try harder for everyone."

I nodded with her, "I'm very happy to hear that and I'm proud of you. If those little girls continue to give you problems, just tell me and big sister will teach them a lesson, okay?" I held my palm up to get a small high-five from her.

"Okay!"

-0-

Sadly the next day Kisa decided to leave us to go back to school. Tohru and I had gotten so used to her being at our side that it was hard to wave good-bye to her as we watched her walk to school by herself the way she wanted. Luckily for her Momiji and Hatsuharu tagged along to make sure none of us tried to walk her to school. It was Kisa's first step in standing up for herself so we could only smile and wave.

I'm going to miss little Kisa but again I'm proud of her, she's come very far from where she was four days ago. She's stronger now, so she doesn't need us anymore at least not yet anyway…she's going to need her 'big sisters' eventually and when she does we'll be there to help her.


	17. Give me strength

(c) Natsuki Takaya

This one took A LOT of thought...I just didn't know what to do. Make them both sick and have Kyo take care of them both. Keep Tohru sick and have some kind of jealous tensin between Tohru and Zakura with Kyo giving all his attenion to Tohru. Have Zakura working while Tohru's sick with Kyo taking care of her...*shakes head* So many possibilies...but added note I wanted to do thank you replies to show that I do read all the reviews that are sent to me but I can't at this time since I'm on borrowed time and internet. The false chapter was an example but here it is for reals!

I was so happy when you smiled

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scars of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

* * *

><p><em>Do you ever stop and wonder how you ever find the strength to make it through rough times? There were plenty of times where I would just think of Tohru and her mom or my dad to give me strength, but this time around something else has been giving me strength through the tough times. I kinda figured it out around midterms…<em>

"Listen up!" The teacher said over the rustle of us passing our tests to the front of whatever row we were in, "For those of you who received failing grades on any of your midterms, there will be retests on Sunday."

There were depressed groans all around from pretty much everyone. There would be quite a few of them here on Sunday. The teacher slammed his folder on the desk two times, "Don't 'ugh' me!" He ordered before putting his folder under his arm, "You should be grateful your teachers are taking time out of their weekends to give you a second chance." He retorted walking out of the classroom.

Uo leaned against her chair, balancing on the back legs, "Yeah, really. Quit complaining." She said out loud, "It's your own damn fault if you gotta come in for a retest!" She yelled at the other students before she turned to Tohru, "But that's what they get for not studying, right girls?"

I nodded my head confidently. I didn't receive any red marks on my tests. Studying with Yuki helped and note taking from Kyo worked wonders too. Who knew he was good at taking notes? I didn't until I complained that my notebook got tossed out into the trash. (Shigure's fault). "I didn't get any red marks." I turned to Tohru to ask her how she did but held it in when I saw her face in her hands with a depressed cloud over her head.

Uo saw this too and sweatdropped, "You got a failing grade?" She asked in almost disbelief.

Tohru nodded her head.

We leaned closer to her and asked, "How many?"

Tohru raised one finger.

We nearly sighed with relief. We thought it was worse than that. She nearly had us worried over something so small.

"Aw, only one?" Uo placed a hand on her back, "Don't let it get you down. It's not so bad." She comforted.

Hana approached Tohru and placed a comforting hand on her too, "Yes, she's right Tohru." Tohru looked up with teary eyes to see Hana smiling softly at her, "In fact, compared to me, that's very good. I failed all of my tests."

I nearly gaped at her, "That's not something to be proud of Hana." I lightly scolded her before turning back to Tohru, "Anyway what happened? I thought all those study sessions with Yuki would've helped you."

"Did the Prince not help you study?" Uo asked.

Tohru shook her head hastily, "No, he…he tried to help me…"

I leaned closer, "So…what…?"

Before she could answer me Yuki approached us, probably to ask us how we did but one look at Tohru's depressed face he looked concerned, "Miss. Honda?" He asked, gaining her attention, "What's the matter? Is it…retests?"

Ooh, he's good. Although he said the forbidden word that sent Tohru into a spiraling panic into the nearest corner. "I am so sorry" She apologized, facing the wall.

I held in a sigh when I knew that she was going to make a big deal out of nothing…again…

"You went through so much trouble to help me and I still failed one of my tests." Tohru confessed to Yuki, "I feel bad for making you waste your time." She sunk her head lower, "I can't believe I'm so stupid."

We all joined Tohru in the sad corner, trying to say positive things to snap her out of it. We tried to assure her that it wasn't anything to get worked up over and she just made one mistake that brought her grade down slightly. Of course she was too stuck in her depression to hear all of us. A guy from student council called Yuki in for a meeting and Yuki assured him that he would be there but he told Tohru that if he needed him to walk her home he would. Tohru put on a fake smile and told him she would be alright. Plus I would be walking with her half way and Kyo would walk with her the rest of the way home. Hopefully nothing bad will happen and it will be a boring, uneventful evening…

-0-

"Has she been like this all day?" Kyo whispered to me as we walked a bit ahead of Tohru who was basically dragging her feet, still thinking about her red mark.

"Unfortunately." I whispered back, "None of us can snap her out of it. It's just one test but no matter how many times we tell her, she doesn't listen."

"She's going to give herself a headache." He said before stopping to address Tohru, "So you gotta take a retake, huh?" He saw for himself when he said the forbidden word to Tohru. She spiraled into another panic and slumped against the wall to someone's house.

"I was just asking." Kyo said deadpanned, "It's really not that big a deal."

"That's what we've been telling her…" *Beep Beep* I looked at the plastic watched on my wrist that Hatsuharu won for me from a vending machine, "I've got to get going." I told them looking between the two of them, before settling my eyes on Kyo, "Do you think you can hold the fort with me and Yuki gone?"

Kyo sighed tiredly, "Whatever. I'll take care of everything like I always do…"

I frowned at him, 'Well, if it's that much of a bother…' I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone that Hatori donated to me. (I seem to be getting a lot of gifts from them) He told me to call at any emergency since Tohru is accident prone. I punched in a few numbers and held the phone to my ear.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Kyo asked.

I didn't look at him, "I'm calling Ayame and telling him that I'm not coming in-"

Kyo abruptly snatched the phone out of my hand, Ayame's voice repeatedly yelling hello, and disconnected the call, "Forget it! You already took time off from the tests, any more and Ayame will fire you!"

I tried to reach for my phone back, "Well, if it's going to be too much trouble to look after Tohru then I'll miss work. Look at her!" I waved my hands towards her, still slumped against the wall, "She probably has a fever already and I can't focus on work when she's like this!"

"Will you calm down? I told you I'll take care of it! You're always worrying about her so take the afternoon off from worrying about her and get to work!" He shouted pointing in the opposite direction.

Now if I didn't know any better I'd think that Kyo was trying to get rid of me. Although she doesn't mean to be, sometimes Tohru can be a lot of trouble. She's clumsy and she can turn a small problem into a big one. With all that worrying she's doing, she's going to make herself sick and Kyo wouldn't know what to do…but Shigure's there so maybe things will go smoothly at least until Yuki gets home.

With a heavy sigh, I gave in, "Alright…but call me right away if anything serious happens."

Kyo pushed me from behind in the direction of Ayame's shop, "Yeah, yeah, just get going. I got everything covered."

If that's true then why do I have an unsettling feeling in my stomach?

-0-0-

Part of the unsettling feeling came from being completely swamped at work. There was a complete cosplay boom going on. The moment I stepped through the door there was a horde of teens flooding the isles, grabbing fabric, accessories, mannequins, props, and was that Ayame and Mine?

"Uh…" I could only stare at Ayame being carried away above the crowd laughing while Mine was filling out the orders that were bring shouted out. "What in the world…"

"Ah Zakura you've arrived!" Ayame laughed, allowing himself to be swept away in the crowd, "Isn't this wonderful? These lovely souls have come to make their wildest fantasies come true!"

I stood there with my mouth hung open slightly. _'I can't believe this…we're never this busy on a school day…'_

"Well, don't just stand there with your mouth open." Ayame chided me as another wave of people carried him to the other side of the store, "There's supposedly a convention nearby and with those dreadful tests holding these lovely people back from making their dreams come true, they were forced to wait until the last minute to make their costumes!" Despite being carrying around Ayame still managed to be dramatic, "In posthaste they all came to me with hope in their eyes that I, Ayame, will save them in their darkest hour and make their dreams come true!" He pointed to me, "And as my employee you must work hard and bring these fantasies to life!"

I looked at the mob of teens apprehensively. Taking a deep breath I started working.

-0- Five hours later -0-

"Two Vocaloid Magnet butterfly headphones, one Puelaa Magi Madoka Magica Soul Gem necklace, one Sailor Moon Crescent moon rod, and one Dynasty Warriors six Wenji's harp." Placing each item in a big brown bag I handed it to the customer, took the money, handed the change and took on the next order.

"One Soul Eater scythe, two NANA metal finger protection rings, two Hatsune Miku uniforms, and one Air Gear wing." I shoved the items in bag, took the money, handed the change and paused for a breather.

"Excuse me!" A girl approached me, "Do you have any more swords?"

I shook my head, "I'm sorry. I sold the last one ten minutes ago but we'll restock tomorrow."

She left the store empty handed and disappointed. I didn't blame her, she would have to shop either somewhere else or wait until the convention. But I couldn't dwell on that now, there were still a handful of customers to deal with and my energy was wearing thin since I we all had to work through lunch to deal with the hustle and bustle. And the sun was slowly going down and I hadn't gotten a call yet from Shigure, Tohru, or Kyo. So many what ifs went through my mind as the hours wore on.

"Zakura! Do we have anymore wigs?"

"Yes! In the back!" I quickly tended to another customer who wondered if we had anymore dresses, "While you're back there we need more dresses!"

Mine quickly ran to the back room and came out with four boxes. She came behind me and dropped the boxes, opened them and handed me the five dresses and two wings that were inside. Our supply is surprisingly wearing thin. We're going to have a hell of a time restocking.

"Thank you, come again!" I forced a smile as I handed her the bags. The lady smiled and took her things and exited the store. As soon as those doors closed my legs gave out in exhaustion and I let out an exaggerated tired sigh as I fell in a cluttered heap.

Ayame walked into the room to grace us with his presence, "Very well good my loyal subjects! Today has been an absolute success! Everything was immediately sold out and our store site hit list has made the all-time high!" Ayame glided behind the register to talk to me, "Zakura, thanks to your marvelous designs, America, yes that America, has asked for 500 orders of every one of our designs!"

Although that was good news I still withered in exhaustion. My legs were sore, my arms were tired, my eyes are burning, and I terribly hungry. "That's great Ayame. Can I go home now? I hadn't heard anything from the house yet and I'm worried."

Ayame waved his hand in dismiss, "Yes, yes, very good."

I bowed my head in thanks and got ready to go home. It was already dark outside and the street lights were already coming on by the time I finally got my things together and helped Ayame and Mine close up the shop. My heart beats dully for a moment when I saw that neither Yuki nor Kyo were standing outside to walk me home. Something must've been going on at home that neither of them are here to walk me home. They're usually so adamant about walking Tohru and I home when it's dark.

_'Maybe I should call…'_ I reached into my skirts pocket for my phone and I didn't feel my phone, _'Where could it-'_ Then I remembered Kyo took it earlier this evening when I was about to call out of work, _'Dammit! Now I have to walk home the dark.'_

"Zakura!" I lifted my head to see Hatori pulling up in his car with Kisa and Momiji sticking their heads out of the car door. That's interesting what are they all doing here and why do Momiji and Kisa look worried?

"What's going on?" I asked Hatori when he rolled down the passenger window, "Why are you here?"

"Tohru's sick." Hatori said simply, unlocking the car door to let me in, "I was on my way over there and these two wanted to come."

I cursed myself for not knowing sooner when no one called me or the shop to tell me, "I knew something was wrong." I closed the car door and Hatori pulled away from the curb and drove to Shigure's house, "When no one called me I had a feeling that something could've been wrong…"

"You didn't know Tohru was sick?" Momiji asked.

I shook my head lightly with uncertainty, "She was worrying herself silly over one red mark she got on a test." I rubbed my head in mild irritation of her carelessness, "I didn't think she was going to literally worry herself sick."

"Do you…" Kisa started softly, "Do you think sissy will be okay?"

Aw, her voice is still as adorable as ever, I put on my best cheerful smile for her despite being completely exhausted, "Don't worry. Tohru gives herself fevers almost all the time when she excessively worries about little details." I turned back around in my seat and stared at the passing streetlights…bad idea it just made my eyes more tired and if I close my eyes I might fall asleep.

"Did you eat lunch at all today?" Hatori asked me suddenly.

I looked at him startled wondering why he would ask me all of a sudden. Then in the quietness of the car I heard the monstrous sound that was coming from deep within my stomach. Embarrassed, I quickly covered it to muffle the growling that were mire seconds apart. "Uh heh heh, no…"

"That's not good!" Momiji gasped worriedly, "You supposed to eat when you're hungry! Are you sick too?"

I quickly shook my head, "No, no, the shop was very packed today and with only three of us working there none of us could take a break to eat so we all worked through lunch." I rubbed my growling stomach, "And I'm much too tired to eat anyway…"

"But, big sister…" Kisa peeped up worriedly, "If you don't eat, you'll get sick too."

"Indeed." Hatori agreed pulling up to Shigure's house, "While I park the car I want you to go in there and eat something while I check on Tohru."

I could tell by his sharp tone that this was probably doctors' orders, "But I want to check on Tohru too."

Hatori stopped the car in front of Shigure's house, "Do I need to repeat myself?"

I felt a cold stab in the back of my mind when he glared at me. _'Yeah…I should do what he says…'_ Hastily I grabbed my things and jumped out of the car and ran to the front door before he could stick me with a needle as a warning or something.

"I'm home!" I announced opening the door to find Yuki and Kyo in another one of the epic stare downs but this one was an interesting twist, they were standing on one foot with their hands mid-air waiting to hit the other. Shigure was standing in the living room doorway with a mini stop sign in his hand with that silly smile that could compare to Tohru when she's day dreaming. "Uh…what's going on?"

The boys didn't drop their stance but Shigure was kind to answer me, still smiling, "Ah, Zakura, welcome home." He paused to notice my weary appearance, "Oh my, you look worse for wear. Did you walk here by yourself?" Yuki and Kyo visibly tensed up. "Come to think of it…you're here a little late aren't you?"

I took my shoes off and placed my things out of the way in the hall, "In answer to your first question, Hatori was kind enough to give me a ride before I started walking home and I'm late tonight because we were suddenly swamped at the shop." My stomach growled again and I sighed, "And we all had to work through lunch…" I walked by Yuki and Kyo who were still frozen, "Is there any dinner?"

Shigure smiled in apology, "Sorry, with Tohru not feeling well none of us cooked anything. You know how we are in the kitchen!" He chuckled to defuse the tension.

I kinda figured that. I rolled up my sleeves and walked into the kitchen, "I'll try to make something then."

"Don't you want to change out of your uniform?" Shigure asked.

At that moment Hatori and the others walked in onto the same scene I did, "She can change her clothes when she gets something to eat. Doctor's orders." Hatori replied to Shigure sternly, leaving no room for argument.

"Ah, so you're here, finally." Shigure said welcoming everyone in, "Oh, Momiji and Kisa too?"

They nodded, "We heard Tohru wasn't feeling well. Is she doing better now?"

Shigure smiled at the concerned children, "Well, I don't really know, we should all go up and check on her." He lead Momiji and Kisa upstairs as Hatori hung back for a moment to address me, shuffling through the refrigerator for possible meal option, "You better being eating by the time I get back here. Don't make anything fancy just put something in your stomach."

I pulled ingredients out the fridge, thankful that Tohru already prepped for dinner, "I'm sure the others are hungry as well…" I shivered when I felt the chill in the back of my mind again.

"Zakura…don't test my patience…"

"Can't I make something as a thank you for picking me up from work?" I asked quickly, hoping to dodge a needle, Shigure told me stories of how Hatori kept sticking the needle in the wrong place when he gives Shigure his checkups, "I'm sure the others are equally as hungry, plus this won't take as long to cook."

Hatori stared at me steadily before letting out a tired sigh of his own, "Very well…just eat soon. I don't want to come back here to find out that you're not feeling well." He walked out of the kitchen as I bowed my head in gratitude. I knew that he meant well and it really made me happy how he was looking after my well-being.

"Right." I mentally prepared myself, "Time to cook."

But before I could touch anything Yuki and Kyo came into the kitchen, both looking uncomfortable, "Miss Kojima…I would like to apologize." Yuki confessed first to my utter surprise. What are they apologizing for?

"Yeah, same here." Kyo said a beat afterward.

"We were so caught up in everything that we forgot to call you to tell you about Miss. Honda's condition and on top of that neither of us bothered to pick you up from work."

Kyo reached into his pocket and pulled out my phone and handed it to me, "I probably shouldn't have let you walk away without it. Sorry for not picking you up."

Although it hurt that they forgot about me, it was still nice they apologized about it. And I kinda admit that I did feel jealous that Tohru had both of their attention over a little cold…_'In fact I feel a little angry about it too…I don't usually feel like this towards Tohru but over something so silly as one red mark, she gave herself a cold, missed work, and got everyone worried and a bit worked up…I know she doesn't do it intentionally but…' _

"It's fine you guys…no harm done." I turned away to start on dinner, "You should both go check on her for me since Hatori banned me to the kitchen."

"But, Miss Kojima don't you need help? It would go faster if you had help. I'm sure you're tired from work."

I shook my head, "No, it's okay." I assured him, "It's quick and easy. Go check on Tohru for me."

Although hesitant Yuki left the room but Kyo stayed at the doorway, I ignored him best I could and made dinner as quickly and efficiently as possible. If everyone was going to eat I want it to taste good so I couldn't be distracted by him right now.

"I really am sorry." Kyo said after the long pause of silence.

I placed the rice in the rice cooker and poured the meat I cut into cubes into the hot pan on the stove, "There's nothing for you to be sorry for Kyo. It's not like you forgot me on purpose." I paused for a moment to swallow thickly, "Besides, you were doing what I asked you…you watched over Tohru for me like I asked so I should thank you."

"Don't thank me for forgetting about you!" He nearly shouted, but he was close to it, "I did think about you, but I didn't even go check on you or call the store…"

I turned slightly to look at Kyo. I could tell he was beating himself over it and now I felt guilty thinking they would willingly forget about me just like that and focus all their attention on Tohru. _'How selfish and silly of me...'_ It really did put a small smile on my face. "Thanks Kyo, you made me feel better."

I shot me a confused look and I like to tease him too much to tell him why I'm thanking him. All he needs to know is that I'm thankful towards him and everyone else who gave me a little thought today.

"Huh? What are you thanking me for?"

I turned around and continued cooking while humming a happy tune. My tired spirits had lifted a bit.

"Girls…" He grumbled before walking out of the kitchen.

-0-0-0-0-

Carrying the tray of food up to our room I was greeted by Momiji and Shigure standing outside our closed door with fake tears in their eyes. I gathered that they were kicked out because they were being disrupted to Hatori's work. I walked around them balancing the tray of food in one hand on opened the door with the other.

"Knock knock," I chimed walking into the room, closing the door on Momiji and Shigure, "Food for the patient."

"Oh, Zakura!" Tohru looked up startled, "Y-you're home!"

Hatori excused himself from the room as Yuki let himself in. Kisa remained in her spot right beside Tohru.

I walked over to her bed and set the tray on the night table, "Yes I am." I placed my hands on my hips and turned to her, "You caused a lot of trouble again, missy…worrying over a little red mark that can easily be fixed on the make-up test." Tohru looked down embarrassed, "Yes it is embarrassing not to do right the first time, but realize that you're not the only one who messed up, remember Hana failed purposely and there are plenty of people in our class who has make-ups too. It's fine to make mistakes we won't think any less of you." I kindly reprimanded her before lightly hitting her leg, "And for all our sakes don't worry me like that again."

Tohru smiled and reached to rub the back of her head, "I'll try not to. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."

"Don't be. We understand why you were upset." Yuki approached her bed with a light blue notebook, "Anyway this is for you. I compiled a list of questions that might be on the retest. Look it over and maybe later we can look it over together."

Tohru blushed lightly and slowly took the outstretched book with gentle care before holding it to her chest like a treasure, "Yuki…thank you very very much."

Sensing the fluffy atmosphere I quietly picked Kisa up and snuck out of the room to give them a moment alone. With Kisa still in my arms I walked downstairs and placed Kisa in the living room with the rest of the adults then I walked into the kitchen to see Momiji pestering Kyo about reading the books on the floor. Picking two of them up to read the title I saw that they were at home remedies for colds and cook books. Setting the books down I maneuvered around them to get the rest of dinner to feed everyone else only for Kyo to beat me to it and Momiji pushing out of the kitchen and into the living room, both telling me to finally take a break and sit down.

Shigure and Hatori kindly put out their cigarettes as the food came into the room. I was only able to help out a little bit while the others did everything else, setting the table, the plates, bowls, cups, and chopstick. Momiji gave me my rice, Hatori made my plate, Kisa held my cup while Kyo poured my tea, and Shigure even offered to do the dishes! I felt embarrassed to be this pampered but I was very grateful to them.

"Thank you for this food!" I prayed for everyone before happily digging in with everyone.

_Although two people were missing it was still a dinner with people I care about. Even on the end of the worst of days, being with them right now overshadows all the bad thoughts and moments of the day. Their smiles and cheerful words made me forget how tired I am and help me get the strength to face the possible bad day tomorrow or the next day…as long as I come home to a warm home filled with people I care about still smiling and happy then I will happily face many bad days. These people give me my strength to pull through the worst of days…_


	18. The Ram

I was so happy when you smiled

Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers can bloom, renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today

Although the scars of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heart believes~

You can't be born again, although you can change

Let's stay together always

I have chosen to skip vol 6 of Fruits Basket until later along the lines in the story. Why nobody knows! Heh Heh! Onto the next chapter! We are introducing my Zodiac animal! Alright so…Thank you!

**Queen – of - Twilights**: Thank you! And like your Author name!

**Mist Hitachiin:** More on the way thank you for loving it!

**MethodOfInsanity:** I'm glad I've got you bursting with excitement! I was worried this was getting boring! ^.^' Hiro will defiantly come as a surprise and I want Zakura to beat him senseless on the one hand…but on the other he's my zodiac animal and then I'm like, 'That's like beating myself up and I don't want to hurt myself!' But my writer passion shall shine through just like Gai-Sensei's Dynamic Entry! Thank you for loving their warm fuzzy moments, I try to keep them as fluffy as a cloud.

**Rejected – Starr**: Thank you!

**ILoveReadingndWriting:** I know I pm you already but I still wanna say thank you for the kind review and I still carry it round with me cause I will always want to remember that message.

**88dragon06**: Heey! My favorite supporter! I love the part with Ayame too! It actually happened to me at work. ^.^ I was having a crappy work day and my fellow co-workers decided to pick my up and carry me around for giggles! It's nice when people try their best to make you smile and laugh from the heart because they want to see you happy. It's always good to have someone just reach out and give you a shoulder and a laugh to perk you up when you're feeling down and alone.

**Chibi – Chic**: Thank you for loving it! I shall update again when possible

**Criala: **The only one I'm not patient with right now is my Dnangel one. *shakes fist at it* Thank you for liking that it follows close to the manga, I know some people don't like it but I use it as a security line so that I don't trail off on everyone's character and I want to keep it Fruits Basket-ity. Thank you for loving my details! ^/^ Sometimes I get the details so well in my head and when I type it out it turns to mush and then I'm like, _'This looked much better in my head…'_

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-0-0-Few weeks later-0-

"Again!" Kyo shouted at me with his arm guarding his face.

"Kyah!" I shouted, bringing my leg up to kick between his wrist and elbow, "Kyah!" I brought my leg up again in a reverse motion before kicking towards his head where the palm of his hand caught my foot and bent it back so that my knee was high.

"Not bad," He released my foot, "But remember that after you do the inside crescent kick and outside crescent kick and follow up with the roundhouse kick you bring your foot back and keep your knee high."

I nodded my head and kept my stance strong.

"Why don't you just teach her how to punch? I mean, every time I come in here she's always kicking something. Why bothering teaching her anything? She looks as whimpy as that other useless woman with the mommy complex."

"Dammit, Hiro, don't come into the dojo with your shoes on!" Kyo growled with irritation as he rounded on the sandy hair little kid that wandered into the dojo, "How many times do I have to tell you that?!"

Hiro ignored him and sat down near the door with his shoes still on, "It doesn't matter if it's just you and her." He said carelessly going through a very familiar looking wallet.

"It does matter because it's bad manners!" Kyo retorted raising his fist.

"So you're telling me you'd do whatever people told you if it was good manners?" Hiro questioned with a cocky smirk, "You mean you'd die if someone told you it was the polite thing to do? Would you kill someone to show your good manners?" He scoffed, "I'm impressed."

Kyo's fist shook with rage, holding everything back from hitting the kid, "You smart-mouthed brat!"

I walked over to the kid with my hands on my hips, "Not only is it about being polite and having manners- it's also about having respect for the rules. I'm sure it wouldn't kill you to take your shoes off when you enter a building that requires you to take your shoes off."

Hiro narrowed his eyes at me, "And who are you to get on your soap box and lecture me? You don't know anything about me. What if I had a condition and I did die if I took my shoes off? Did it ever cross your mind that maybe I just don't want to take my shoes off? You have no right to tell me what to do, even if you are older than me."

I could see why Kyo got irritated with him quickly. The way this kid ran his mouth with little respect of the other persons feeling was enough to make someone want to slap him into next week, "You're right that I don't know you and have no right to tell you what to do but the fact still remains that-" I stopped when I saw the picture in the wallet, it was Kyoko! "That's Tohru's wallet!" I reached out to take it from his hand but he held it behind his back. "How did you get that?! Did you steal it from her?!"

"What do you mean? I have no idea what you're talking about." He said smirking at me as if knowing I wouldn't dare touch him because he was much younger than me, "What if you're wrongly accusing me of something I didn't do? I could've found this for all you know! How would you apologize if you were wrong?"

"Dammit!" Kyo snapped at him, "What did you do?!"

Hiro turned his head to the side and shrugged his shoulders, "All I did was take her wallet."

"So you did do something!" Kyo and I shouted at him.

"What are you yelling at me for?" He asked, not at all affected that we were close to strangling him, "Not like she put up a fight. She practically asked me to take it from her."

Tohru would allow something like that to happen to her, "That still doesn't make it okay to steal something!"

Kyo grabbed Hiro by his shirt, "You snot nosed brat! Give the wallet back now or I'll grind you to dust!"

Hiro smirked back, "Go ahead, I'll have you charged for child abuse."

"Hiro…" A timid little voice that could be recognized anywhere.

We stopped what we were doing to look at the entrance and saw Kisa, Momiji, and Tohru at the sliding doors.

Tohru looked a little worn out but she smiled for the rest of us, "Oh, Zakura and Kyo! This is where you go for training?"

"Hi, you three," I greeted them, "Are you here because of this kid?" I pointed to Hiro.

Kisa nodded timidly, "Hiro…did you take something from sissy?" She took off her shoes and walked over to Hiro, Kyo thankfully stepped away, "Please give it back…"

Hiro suddenly had a change in attitude. He wasn't he cocky arrogant self now that Kisa was there, he was quite for now, but I could see him shaking in anger.

"Please…don't cause trouble for sissy and big sister…Hiro…"

Hiro gritted his teeth, "…so stupid…" He threw the wallet at Tohru's chest, "I don't need it anyway!" He snapped like a spoiled child.

"Hey!" Kyo and I shouted at him.

Tohru held the wallet to her chest and timidly tried to sooth us by assuring us that it was alright, but it wasn't. Child or not it's not right to steal something and act like you didn't do wrong and still have a spoiled attitude about it.

"Hiro!" Kisa cried in distress, "What would you…" Tears began to form in her eyes, "When you do things like that, Hiro, I don't like it… I don't like it when you do things like that to sissy and big sister…"

Finally Hiro snapped, "Sissy and Big sister! Why do you always, always, talk about those stupid girls?!" His outburst startled us, "You even took my movie straight to that stupid one!" He pointed to a confused Tohru, "I lent it to you! I wanted to watch it with you! And you keep carrying that Mogeta doll that busy-body bought for you!" He pointed to me.

"But, Hiro, you never said anything about that before…"

Hiro blushed even more, "What? Do I have to spell it out for you?! Figure it out!"

Momiji noticed the confused look on Kisa's face; she didn't understand Hiro's real feelings yet, "Hiro, that's not fair!"

Still flustered, Hiro rounded on Momiji, "Shut up, Rabbit!" He turned back to Kisa, "I couldn't help you back then…you were having such a hard time, but I couldn't do anything. But now you're smiling and always saying, 'Sissy! Big Sister!' But I was there too! I was worried about you too!"

Aw, he really likes her that much. Even though he's little he has the love of an adult.

"I don't get it." Kyo grumbled with his arms crossed, "What is he talking about?"

Momiji stuck his tongue out at Kyo, "You're so clueless!"

Before he could retaliate on Momiji I explained it to him, "Even though he's a kid, Hiro like Kisa more than a friend and he was jealous that Kisa was giving all her attention to me and Tohru. Even though they're together, he's angry that she still talks about us."

Tohru smiled, "Oh I see, we're rivals of love to him."

Kisa, then, somewhat, understood Hiro's feelings…She held his hand and smiled at him, "I'm sorry, Hiro. We can watch the movie together next time." Hiro blushed with embarrassment, "But you have to apologize to sissy and big sister first…"

Momiji nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you did cause trouble today."

By the looks of Hiro's face it looked like he was going to be stubborn about it, but to our surprise Tohru was insistent on some kind of punishment for him. We were shocked to say the least because Tohru would be the very last person to issue some sort of punishment unless it was on herself.

"What could you possibly do to me?" Hiro asked her sarcastically.

Tohru smiled and wrapped her arms around him, "I can give you a hug!"

Needless to say Hiro's terrified expression when Tohru gave him a hug was so priceless I couldn't stop laughing until I saw his zodiac form! I ran over to Tohru and gave Hiro a hug too, "He's the Ram just like me!" I gush, holding the fluffy shaken animal close.

Kyo crossed his arms tiredly, "I don't see how that's a punishment."

Momiji laughed, "She was curious of what year he was."

-0-0-

"It's too sweet," Hiro stated, taking a bite out of the apple pie Tohru prepared for him and Kisa, "You assume that because I'm a kid, I only want sweet food? Did you ever consider the possibilities of cavities or health problems?"

I sat behind Kisa brushing her short golden hair, "It's only natural to have something sweet with tea."

Tohru smiled with embarrassment, "Oh, I didn't consider…"

"I can't stand inconsiderate people." Hiro stated annoyed, taking another bite of the pie.

As I parted a few strands of Kisa's hair to put in ribbons I frown at Hiro, "And I can't stand hypocrites. If you don't like it then don't eat it." Just because he had a crush on Kisa doesn't mean he can act and talk how he wants.

"Why don't you mind your own business, busy-body?"

"Big sister…Hiro…"

Tohru smiled softly at her, "It's okay, Kisa."

"It's not okay," Hiro snapped at her, "Be more careful in the future!"

Tohru tensed up, "Right! I'll do my best!"

Kyo walked out of the kitchen, looking as annoyed as always, "Hiro, lay off. She's not your maid so stop telling her what to do. Don't come over and act like you can do what you want."

"Huh?" Hiro looked at him, "Since when did the **cat** set the rules for this house? You mean to tell me that you contribute more to this house than anyone else? Do you pay all the bills?" He looked away, "I can't stand people who absolutely do nothing but complain all the time!"

"Look who's talking!" Kyo shouted raising his fist to punch Hiro, only to be stopped by Shigure pulling on his head. Its times like that I wonder about Shigure's strength.

"Calm down, Kyo. Hiro's at a rebellious age."

"Wha?! I don't give a damn what age the punk is! If he's going to **hit on** people he should do it at his own house!" After explaining to Kyo twice that when Hiro acts spoil like this it's his way of showing his feelings to Kisa.

I looked up at Shigure, "He has a point Shigure. Rebellious age or not, if he keeps acting like this he's going to get pummeled."

Shigure only smiled and shook his head at us, "How little you youngsters understand. Members of the Zodiac get so little opportunities to flirt. Flirting is hard for us with our condition. We mustn't miss a chance to practice. Whether our hearts lead us 'outside' or even within the Sohma Estate, we must be prepared."

_Huh…I never thought of it that way…but then from what Hatori went through I guess it really isn't easy for Zodiac members to have a stable relationship with someone they care about…_

"Anyway, just go with the flow. The fact that you're getting so worked up about it is proof that you are t a rebellious age, too." Shigure chuckled.

"Wha?!"

"See?" Shigure smirked, "You get mad right way. You have to build character and become a fine adult, like myself."

"Fine adult?" A teary voice asked from behind Shigure, "A person who can't make his deadlines is a 'fine adult'?" Ah, it's Mii again.

"She was standing at the door like she about to **hang** herself." Yuki explained walking into the living room.

"Eh?!" Tohru panicked.

_What is it about Shigure and his deadlines that make this woman want to kill herself every time we meet her?_

Mii ran over to Shigure and clung onto his robe, crying, "Why, why, why don't you keep your deadlines?!"

"Why indeed?" Shigure chuckled amused by his editor's antics. He picked her up by the shoulders and pushed her out of the room promising he would start writing.

Hiro picked up his empty cup of tea, "She's so noisy. If he doesn't keep up with his work its nothing for her to cry over. She should just get a new job." He held his up to Tohru, "I want more tea."

Tohru smiled and took his cup, "I'll go make more."

"Stop doting on him!" Kyo and I shouted at her but she merrily ignored us and went into the kitchen with Yuki to get more tea.

Kyo growled and stormed up to his room, "I've had it with kids!"

I walked over to Kisa and gave her a hug, "I'm going out. It's getting too noisy here."

-0-

"I see…" From over my shoulder a green bottle of Sprite in my hand, "Usually boys at that age are rather open with their feelings."

I looked up at my godmother, "In the back of my mind I know he's only acting this way because he likes Kisa, but he could really lose the attitude."

She sat down next to me and smiled, "I'm sure he can't be that terrible."

My Sprite bottle opened with a hiss. While taking a sip of the fizzy drink I gave her a 'I'm- not- joking' look, "Wait until you hear him talk. Tohru has all the patience in the world but if it were anyone else to deal with Hiro they would wring his tiny neck."

She chuckled amused. She's a friend of my mom, Hanabi Seiji. I haven't heard from her in so long and I was excited to see her again. I never understood how someone as kind and friendly as her ever became friends with my mom, but I did owe her since she was the reason why I was born. She was the one who brought my mom and dad together when they were in high school going onto college.

Hanabi was just like Kyoko and Tohru in a way, always putting other people's feelings before her own and unfortunately that kindness ended up being her downfall when she had to take time off of work to take care of her sick mother…as her mother got sicker and sicker she took more time off of work and paid for her medicine…eventually one thing lead to another and her mother died in her sleep. Unable to stay there any longer she decided to move closer to where I live to take over her mother's book shop with her older brother.

"How has everything else been going for you?" She asked, "Things been going okay at work and school? You're keeping your grades up, right?"

I nodded, taking another sip, "Yes, work is going great and my grades are up. What about you?" I grinned, "Any boyfriends yet?"

Hanabi flushed and wrung her hands in a nervous habit, "N-no…I'm afraid I've haven't had any luck." She hung her head in embarrassment, "It's really shameful for a grown women like me to not a boyfriend or at the very least a husband."

"Not really." I screwed the cap onto my soda, "Relationships are hard. You'll find someone eventually and even if you don't, it's okay, not everyone can be in a relationship. None of my friends are in a relationship yet."

"No?" This took her by surprise, "Tohru and Yuki aren't together yet?"

I crossed my arms in deep thought, "I'm not entirely sure. They spend time alone a few times, almost daily, and they talk to each other a lot." Recalling all of the times when they go to Yuki's 'secret base'. "I can't put my finger on it…it's like, you can see them as together but they're not necessarily 'together'."

Hanabi nodded, "So it's like you're relationship with this Kyo person?"

I nearly choked on my spit when she said that so bluntly, "H-hanbi! You can't say so carelessly like that!" I hissed at her, trying to cool my hot face, "K-kyo and I don't have a relationship." I stated firmly, "He's only tolerating me- he doesn't really like anybody."

She giggled in amusement and grabbed my wrist with the sweatband Kyo stitched, "I'm sure he makes gifts for people he doesn't like, then."

I took my wrist back and cradled it to my chest defensively, "Careful! You might stretch it!" It may have been childish of me, but it was very precious to me. I treasured the gifts he gave me because…well…it's not often Kyo comes out of his comfort zone and shows people that he's actually a sweet guy. "He made it for me for White's day…along with a portable sewing kit." That I also treasure and use everyday.

"Sounds like you like this boy very much."

I crossed my arms stubbornly, "Yeah, so what if I do? He's loud, impatient sometimes, rude, short-tempered, and he has this bad habit of drinking milk straight from the carton." I ticked off my fingers, "He has this chip on his shoulder the size of Russia and have I told you what a drill sergeant he is when he's training me? He's moody and sulks on the roof or in his room almost the time…but when he does talk to you one on one you can see that…" I recalled the times Kyo talked to me. When we're alone you can see that, "…in his eyes, passed all the bitter, anger, and sadness, there's really a great guy in there waiting to laugh and smile and talk to others openly. He doesn't try to come off as a brute he just doesn't know how to interact with people. He has this amazing smile that just makes you want to smile with him and do anything to keep that smile on his face…"

"Well, if that isn't love, I don't know what is." A voice commented behind us.

We turned our heads to look behind us and saw the most apathetic doctor in Japan, "Hatori!"

"Hello, Zakura," He greeted in his normal tone, "Are any of the others with you?"

I shook my head, "Nah, I'm alone this time." Even we need a break from each other sometimes. I turned to my godmother and saw the confused look on her face, "Hanabi, this is Hatori Sohma. He's the Sohma family doctor." I looked at Hatori, "And this is Hanabi Seiji, she my godmother."

"It's nice to meet you." Hatori said politely, although his face remained stoic.

Hanabi stood up flustered and bowed at the waist, "Y-yes, it's nice to meet the man that Zakura admires!" She raised her head to look at him clearly, "A-are you really a doctor?"

"Sohma family doctor to be exact, my practice is only devoted exclusively to the Sohma family." He replied, "Do you have a profession?" He asked.

Hanabi wrung her hands nervously, "A-ah, not really, I sell book in my late mothers store. I used to be an assistant nurse in a small clinic for a short time."

Hatori's eyes widen very slightly in interest, "Is that right? What kind of books?"

Hanabi smiled, flustered, "Quite a large range of genre, but all kinds. I-if you like I can give the address of the store and you can browse through the selection."

Hatori nodded, "Alright."

Hanabi reached into her purse frantically looking for a pen and paper while I talked to Hatori, "Out for a walk?"

"I don't get to go out very often since Akito takes up a lot of my time," He replied tiredly and changed the subject, "Why are you out alone if you don't mind me asking?"

"Hiro Sohma." I stated dryly, "I couldn't take his talk anymore. Plus Shigure's editor Mii showed up and that alone was another reason to leave."

He nodded in understanding and held his hand out to receive the small piece of paper from Hanabi, "I see."

Hanabi turned to me with an apologic smile, "I'm sorry, Zakura, but I got to get back to the store now."

I nodded and waved her off, "That's alright, I understand. It was good talking to you again."

She pulled me into a quick hug, "Yes, and be sure to call me more often. I do miss you, you know."

I nodded and waved good-bye as she walked away, leaving me and Hatori there. Hatori tucked the note into his pocket and turned to me, "I suppose I should walk you back to Shigure's before going back to the Main house."

I nodded and fell into steps with him. We walked in comfortable silence for several long minutes before I decided to break it. "Hey, Hatori, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Is it really that hard for members of the Zodiac to have a relationship?" I asked, "Is it only because you all transform when the opposite gender hugs you or is it more than that?"

As we continued walking Hatori didn't any anything for several moments. I almost thought he wasn't going to say anything until he spoke softly. "It's more than that."

I looked up at him, "It is…? Can you tell me?"

Hatori shook his head lightly, "I don't want you to get anymore involved into the Sohma curse than you already are, for your own protection." He looked at me with his good eye, "It's already a miracle that you haven't met Akito personally and I would like it if you can avoid him in anyway possible."

I frowned, "Is he really so terrible? I get that he's the head of the family but-"

"Zakura…"

"I just want to know if it's really possible for anyone to have a relationship with any member of the Zodiac!" I persisted. Personally I wanted to know if it was possible for Tohru and Yuki to be together more than just friends. Tohru doesn't care about the Zodiac curse, she wouldn't let that stop her from caring for Yuki and I won't let that stop me from caring for Kyo and the others.

Hatori sighed as we came to the walkway leading to the forest path to Shigure's house. He turned to me with a serious expression, "You remember the story that Momiji told you about my relationship with Kana. Akito damaged my eye. Well a few weeks before Kisa was teased Hiro confessed to Akito about his feelings for Kisa and Akito did not take it lightly." He didn't want to go into detail of what Akito did, "the thing is that Akito does not like the idea of others falling in love, he wants the Zodiac to remain unchanged. He is the god and wants everyone to love him."

I had to bite back a curse, "Th-that selfish prick! How can someone be so cold and cruel to do that to people?! Kisa's just a little girl! He can't do something like that to her just because Hiro has a crush on her!" Just thinking about someone hurting sweet little Kisa makes me want to tear walls down to get to whoever hurt her and beat them to a pulp.

Hatori placed a hand on my shoulder, "That's the way it is-"

I shook my head, "It shouldn't be that way! You're all human beings and you should be free to love and go where and do what you want! You're not some animals who have to be locked up in a tiny house and act on some head family silly will!" I panted, strangely out of breath. _'It pisses me off that Akito would trap these wonderful people. Making a wonderful man lose part of his eye sight just because he fell in love and wanted to marry the love of his life who accepted him along with his curse, hurting a sweet little girl because her friend/cousin has a crush on her?! What sane person would do such things?!' _I wiped the tears of frustration that came to my eyes. "It's not fair…"

Hatori stepped closer and rested a hand on top of my head and stroked it softly, "I know its not, but it does mean a lot that you feel this way. I understand that you and Tohru want to ease the burden that is placed on us but there's not much you can do about the curse."

I grabbed the front of his shirt, like an upset child seeking comfort, "Sometimes I wish I could just break the curse on everyone…I want to do something to make you all as unbelievably happy as you made Tohru and I. You've all done so much for the two of us that we want to do something to show how grateful we are…"

Hatori chuckled softly as he used his other hand to tilt my head up to stare at his face, "The one thing you and Tohru can do is continue to smile for us…you're smiles ease the burden in our hearts and ease our troubled minds." He ruffled my hair a little more, "And continue to be there for Yuki and Kyo…they need you more than ever."

I could only nod for him. _Deep in my heart I knew it was true. There wasn't much I could do about the Zodiac curse. There could really be no way to break a curse that has been in their family for generations. The only thing Tohru and I can really do is be there for each Zodiac member we meet and make them happy and support them the best we can…_

Pulling back abruptly I pointed to Hatori with a stern expression, "By the way if you're planning on dating my godmother you better not be behind the bush about it!" I snapped at him catching him off guard, "Hanabi is a very delicate woman so you better treat her nicely or you're in _big_ trouble and I don't care how old or taller you are than me!"

Hatori could only stare at me, probably wondering what in the world I was talking about.

_It's not just the members of the Zodiac that has a hard time acting on the feelings they feel deep inside their hearts. There is always something holding someone back from acting on their true feelings, be it insecurity or fear. I suppose it's easy for some people to come out their feelings more than others without a push or gentle nudge…but how do you approach someone who seems unapproachable?_

Opening the front door I was greeted by the smell of dinner, Kyo and Yuki bickering, and Shigure teasing the three of them. Taking off my shoes I quietly walked to the doorway to the room and leaned against the wall, watching them, _'I guess it's up to me…to take it one step at a time…'_


	19. Filler! Sport bet!

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But thank you for reviewing anyway, it means alot! ^ . ^

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88dragon06 - Hello! I'm happy I posted, when I don't post it nags on the back of my mind forever. Kyo and Zakura hang out together so much that Zakura is picking up on his violent traits! XD Hatori is rather fatherly, i think he's the perfect father figure for Zakura. He does think of Zakura as a daughter very deep down. And I want to give Hatori some love along with Hatsuhru (no offense to Rin). The next real chapter is still undergoing work, but I made a filler (gasp, for the first time!) I shall try to keep up the good work and I hope I don't let anyone down!

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* * *

><p><strong>Chapter: Filler! Sport Bet!<strong>

"The topic for today is the sports meet." Yuki announced standing in front of the class, "Think about which even you would like to enter." A girl on the committee with Yuki was writing the name of the sports available on the chalk board behind him, "The events are softball, volleyball, soccer, and basketball."

Everyone broke out in to whispers about what event they should do or would be good at. Most of the boys chose basketball obviously, but most of the girls were undecided.

Uo crossed her arms behind her head and leaned back in her chair, "This is such a waste of time. Who wants to get all dirty and sweaty in this heat?"

"Volleyball and Basketball would be inside where it's cool," I said looking over the list wondering what I should do, "Softball and soccer would be fun too…"

"Zakura, you should join soccer!" Tohru walked over to my desk with her hands clasped over her chest, "You were so good at in middle school, remember?"

I rested my chin on my palm in thought, "Hm, I suppose…it was fun to play…" I looked back at Tohru, "What about you, Tohru?"

Tohru was startled and then confused as she lost herself in thought of what event she should join. In actuality Tohru was really no good at sports, she's great at organizing, cleaning, cooking, and those kinds of things but when it comes to sports she's a disaster as usual.

"Perhaps softball," Hana suggested joining the little group.

Uo nodded, "Yeah, it's almost like badminton."

Tohru hesitantly agreed, "Yes! I will do my best not to let my team down! I will work hard to get my team a homerun!"

"Alright then," Uo said standing up, "Let's go sign up." She led Tohru and Hana to the front where the others were writing their names down next to the event they wanted. I turned in my seat to see Kyo brooding as usual. Getting up I walked over to him.

"So what are you going to do?" I asked.

"Basketball," He answered, "Isn't it obvious?"

I shrugged one shoulder, "I also thought you would softball or soccer. They both seem like something you would be great at."

"What are you doing?"

"Soccer," I said confidently, "I played a lot when I was in middle school with a bunch of guys. I was a powerhouse kicker!"

Kyo nearly chuckled, "That explains why your kicks were so strong to begin with when we were training."

I grinned cheekily at him when I recalled the time when I kicked him from behind one time during training, "Are you still sore about that?"

"In your dreams," Kyo scoffed and looked away, "That was a lucky shot. You know I can always win against you."

This time I scoffed at him, "Don't you have enough competition with Yuki? I can beat you sometimes too! In fact I'm sure I can beat you at the sports meet."

Kyo's challenging glare matched mine, "Alright, let's bet then." He stood up so he could tower over me, "Your goals against my baskets, who ever scores the most wins, gets bragging rights, and picks the losers' punishment." He stuck his hand out for me to shake.

I gripped his hand and shook it, "You're so on!"

Hana sighed blissfully behind us, "Ahh, such wonderful signals."

-0-

"Uh, Zakura?" One of my teammates approached me, tired and covered with sweat and grass stains, "D-do you think you could hold back a bit?"

I stopped bouncing the soccer ball on my forehead and caught it with my hands, "Huh? Why what's wrong?"

She pointed to the end field where the other girls were scattered on the ground out of breath and dirty, "The others can't keep up with you."

I dropped the ball on the ground and kicked it into the unguarded goal, "Alright. The others can take a break. I want to keep practicing." _'Cause there's no way I'm losing to Kyo!'_ I walked over to the goal to fetch the ball, _'He thinks he's so much better than me, but I'll show him! And when I do win I'm going to rub it in his pretty boy face-' _I dropped the ball in blatant shock, _'W-wait a minute…for a moment there…I sounded like Kyo!' _ I shook my head and continued practicing against invisible foes. Hopefully my team will hurry up and recover so we can practice more. This is part of the reason why I'd rather play with and against boys than girls. These girls aren't very interested in giving their 100 percent into the game, they probably hate me already for pushing them this far.

"Um, Zakura?" The girl from before called my name as the rest of the girls rejoined the field looking surprisingly rested to go again. "We're ready to start again! We're sorry for holding you back."

I raised an eye-brow in confusion, "Huh, what do you mean? If you're all tired you can rest more."

One girl shook her head, "It's not fair if we keep resting while you work hard."

Another girl nodded, "Yeah, it would look embarrassing for the rest of us if we just let you do all the work!" Huh? "Boys will be watching us play and we refuse to look embarrassing in front of Prince Yuki!" Oh great, I had Yuki fans on the team.

"Well, if that's how you feel," I looked at their determined faces, "Alright, let's get to it!"

"Yeah!"

Speaking of Yuki I wonder how the others are doing?

(Tohru, Uo, and Hana elected softball. Tohru keeps getting dizzy from swinging the bat so hard and getting hit with the ball every time she misses. Uo already has a good arm so she's the ace pitcher and batter. Hana is the water girl since she refuses to play. Kyo are Yuki are being competitive as usual.)

0-0-0-

"Zakura!" Tohru called coming into our room in her pajama with her strawberry towel around her neck, "I'm out of the tub now!"

I stopped stitching the kanji character I was making on a jacket for Haru to look up at her, taking the pins out of my mouth I spoke to her, "Alright, I'll get in as soon as I finished this." I held up the jacket to show her.

She came in closer to touch the jacket, "It's really well-done! You make such wonder clothing, Zakura!"

I smiled at the flattery, "Thanks. I take pride in it." After pulling the last thread I picked up the small fabric scissors and cut the extra thread, "I hope Haru likes it. His took as much thought as Kyo's."

"Ah!" Tohru smiled, "Did you finish Kyo's already?"

I nodded proudly, "Hm, now I just have to find the right time to give it to him."

"Give who what?" Kyo asked, walking by out room with the milk carton in his hand.

I mildly glared at him, "Didn't I tell you to stop drinking milk straight from the carton?"

"It's almost empty anyway," He slushed it around for emphasis, "So, you ready to get creamed tomorrow?"

"I should be saying that to you." I matched his cocky smirk, "There's no way I'm going to lose to you. I've already got my punishment picked out for you."

Kyo nearly laughed, "And I've got mine picked out for you so you better say your prayers because I'm not going to show you any mercy." He walked away with a confident smirk.

Is it bad that my heart nearly leapt into my throat and I had a tingly feeling coursing through my body when he said that? I think I nearly forgot how to breathe. _'I'm not going to show you any mercy.' How could he make that sound so scary and erotic at the same time?! It almost makes me want to lose just to see-'_ I sacked my forehead to get rid of the thought. _'I can't lose focus! I've got to win!'_

"Zakura!?"

"I've got to stop reading Shigure's books…"

-0-

"Do your best!" My own little cheering section yelled. It made me happy that Momiji and Haru skipped class to come cheer the rest of us on. Momiji couldn't stick around long since Tohru's game was going on at the same time as mine.

I waved to them in gratitude before focusing on the game. I had to remember what I'm doing this for. To beat Kyo and show he's not always better than me.

_Tweeeeet!_

I ran towards the ball first and gave it a hard kick to the defense away from the attackers. As I kicked the ball I easily dodged the other girls, waiting for one of my teammates to join either side of me to get the ball. I faked one of the girls and shot the ball in between her legs. She tripped over herself, whining.

When I got passed most of the girls I stopped for a moment to wonder what happened to the rest of my team. Turning around slightly I saw they were actually doing a pretty good job blocking the other team. I was impressed

"Get it into the goal, Zakura!"

"Make the shot!"

"You can do it!"

Nodding, I studied the goalie. She was poised and ready in the middle, ready to go left or right. When in doubt fake it. I gave her the impression that I was going to kick it to the left and when she leaned that way I quickly kicked it to the right and scored the goal!

Everyone broke out in cheers. I jumped up in joy myself since I scored the first goal.

The girl in the goal glared at me, "Big deal. You scored one goal." She threw the ball at my chest with force. "I don't know what Kyo-Kyo sees in you but I won't lose to you!"

I caught it easily and smirked at her. Okay, she was challenging me too, "You do realize this is war…" I wasn't going to lose to her or any fan girls.

When we took our position again I began to wonder how the heck did I get stuck in a game filled with fan girls. Not only that my team was consisted of Yuki fan girls. It's Yuki's fan club vs. Kyo's fan club. Terrific.

_Tweeet!_

The first goal was just the beginning as we ran around passing the ball left and right up and down the field gaining the advantage and losing it. I was upset that our winning streak started to fall and it took a lot of fancy foot work to get it all back. After thirty minutes of playing it was break time. Sadly this was it. Both teams were tied with 47 points and the last one to score wins.

Wiping the sweat off my face with the sweatband Kyo made for me I made my way over to my cheering section, consisting of Haru.

"42 goals," Haru said handing me a water bottle, "Good work out there."

I took the water bottle with gratitude, "Thanks." I asked after I took large gulps of water, "Also, thanks for coming to cheer for me."

Haru held up a camcorder to record, "No problem."

My mouth fell open in shock, "Haru! Why are you recording me?!"

"I heard about the bet between you and Kyo and since he couldn't be here to see you play I decided to record it for him." He lowered it, "As well as for everyone else."

'_Everyone else?' _I wondered. It's almost scary how mysterious Haru is sometimes.

_Tweet~Tweet_

"Tie breaker!" The coach shouted, "First one to score wins!"

I handed the water bottle back to Haru and took to the field with the rest of the team. This is it…Yuki fans versus Kyo fans…the final round… all or nothing.

_Tweeeet!_

_I absolutely have to win now. I will take nothing less. I must make my punishment for Kyo a reality!_

I kicked the ball with everything that I had in me. With the other team watching it soar over head my offense team used the opportunity to get passed their defense. One of the girls on my team got the ball and took it towards the goal. The goalie blocked it and tossed back in where her team could get it, but we weren't going to let that happen. Some of our defense and offense followed after the ball while the rest of us remained in place until it came back at us.

"Don't think I'm going to let you have that last goal." The girls from before stated from next to me, "I won't even let you get close."

The ball came back to me and I held it under my foot, "Is that right?"

"You won't fake me out this time." She said confidently.

Looking over to the right where the gymnasium was, I saw the guys getting ready to go inside to start their game and even better Kyo was dressed in his basketball shorts with his jersey on his arm. Smirking, I subtly pointed to the right, "Shirtless Kyo at three o clock."

Like a fan girl she fell for it, as well as the rest of the girls who heard me. I kicked the ball into the goal and the sweet sound of the final whistle sounded in our ears.

"We did it!" My team cheered happily running over to me to hug me and strangely I hugged them back, must be the adrenaline or something,

"What are doing standing around here for?!" A girl shouted, "The boys started playing already!"

Just like that the biggest female stampede in school history left the stands and made its way to the gym.

-0-

"Yuki and Kyo are very good aren't they?" Tohru asked as we watched the game go on from the front lines thanks to Hana scaring off most of the girls.

"Damn," I cursed when I counted Kyo's 36th basket, "For once I want Yuki to win. I should've made a deal with him behind Kyo's back."

"They sure are going all out," Uo commented watching the boys move around each other, passing the ball in perfect harmony.

Tohru watched Yuki worriedly when she saw the sweat he was working up, "I hope Yuki's asthmas will be okay…he's working so hard…"

Uo and I smirked and each other before grinning at Tohru, "Maybe he's trying to show off for you." We teased, making her go all flustered.

"W-what!?" She waved her hands frantically, "N-no-no-no! That can't be possible! Yuki's trying very hard for the team that's all! I doubt he would work hard to impress me he shouldn't work hard!" She was working up a sweat to try to convince us otherwise but anyone with eyes could see through her.

"Yuki's not the only one working up a sweat." Hana commented.

I looked at Kyo brushing back his wet hair out of his eyes as he breathed heavily. I tilted my heads I stared at him. Kyo sure is amazing when you look at him. I've never seen him work hard like this. I wonder if he was like this when he was training alone in the mountains for four months.

"Look! Kyo-Kyo's coming over!" A girl squealed happily.

"He's so dreamy!"

"Not as dreamy as Yuki!"

Kyo tried to use his arm to wipe the sweat off his face but it wasn't working so well. He locked eyes with me and walked over towards me. For some reason my heart was pounding loudly as he came closer.

Probably too tired to talk he pointed to his right wrist. Did he want the time? Looking at my right wrist I saw the sweatband and it suddenly made sense. Smiling I took it off and tossed it to him to use.

Smiling gratefully he slipped it on and used it for his sweat. (Don't worry she cleaned it when she washed up in the locker rooms.)

"Kyo-Kyo is smiling!"

"Unbelievable!"

_It is unbelievable to see Kyo smiling from the heart…I want him to smile like that all the time, the very smile that makes me smile and lets my heart race._

"Game!" The gym teacher blew his whistle so the two teams could line up, "50-48! Sohma team wins!"

"Good game!" The boys told each other.

"Why team Sohma?" I wondered out loud.

A random guy from behind me answered, "Since Yuki and Kyo are the best guys on the team it was decided that they would name the team after them."

"Oh…" I didn't know we went to school with such shallow people…

-0-

"So Kyo how many baskets did you make?" I asked him the moment we got home from school and changed out of our uniforms. "I've made 43 goals and my team won."

Kyo froze in his tracks and sweat began to pour on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Yuki appeared from the kitchen with a bored look on his face, "I bet he forgot to keep score of how many he made."

"Shut up!" Kyo shouted at him, "I was more worried about getting more baskets than you, damn rat!"

This brought my question up again only this time I asked Yuki, "Alright, then, Yuki, how many baskets did you make?" If Yuki had more baskets then naturally Kyo would have less. Not to be mean about Kyo but he usually is one step behind Yuki.

"I made 41 baskets." He answered before walking back into the kitchen to help Tohru with dinner.

Kyo stood rooted in the doorway that lead upstairs and the grin could not stop spreading to my face. "By that logic…you made less than him and that means less than me…" I could literally see the color draining from his body, "…that means I win the bet!" I cheered happily, throwing my arms in the air.

Kyo slumped to the floor in defeat, "Oh no…why me…?"

I went over to his side and slapped his back, "Don't worry! I won't brag too much!"

Looking at me with dread he sat up a little, "Alright, so what's my punishment?"

If it was possible I grinned even more, "You're so going to hate me forever."

-0-

"Are you done yet?" Kyo grumbled in his cat form.

I rubbed my head against his, "Just a little more. It's not often that I can do this to you and you cooperate." With one final pet I set him down on my pillow.

He shook out his fur and glared at him, "Okay, can I go now?"

"Of course not!" I laughed reaching under my bed to grab a special blue kit with white lace decorating it, "This is the real punishment." Setting the kit on the bed I opened it up and pulled out the items inside for Kyo to see.

"Ahh!" He shouted comically backing into the headboard of my bed, "Hell no! There's absolutely no way!"

I pulled out a cat leash for such occasion, "You don't have a choice."

Kyo tried to make a run for it but I quickly scooped him up into my arms and latched the leash on him, tying him to my bedpost to keep him from escaping.

"Heh heh." I giggled watching him unsuccessfully try to get himself free, "Give it up and face it like a man."

"There's no way in hell that I'm doing it!" She shouted at me, glaring holes into the article of fabric that I had laid out on my bed.

"Oh come on. I really need your help with this." I spread the fabric smoothly on my bed, "Ayame wants something new presented for the shop and asked me to come up with it." I moved my tools so that I knew where they were the second I needed them, "I thought that cosplayers with pets would want their pets to cosplay too."

Kyo continued to tug at the leash, "How's that any different from normal people dressing up their animals?"

I lowered my head to meet him eye to eye almost glaring, "It's _very_ different. This is cosplay! _Cos-play_!" I repeated, stretching the word for him to understand better, "Cosplay isn't just dressing up as your favorite character and parading around acting like them! It's a way of art! Story! Passion! Energy and appeal! It's like Halloween everyday only with better costumes!" I clenched my fist, "People call it strange and weird but as soon as you slip on the silky fabric and place on your make-up you transform into an entirely different person and you fall in love with it!" I growled at him getting in his face with measuring tape and scissors in my hands, "So you're going to sit there quietly and cooperate or this is going to be a long living hell for you, got it?!"

Kyo only whimpered and nodded fearfully. Good. He should fear me when I'm in my element.

-0-0-

""C'est magnifique!" Ayame exclaimed proudly at my work, "My dear Zakura you continue to astound me with your creative work!" He held my hands as he continued to shower me with praise, "Now as a personal request I must ask that you make something for my sweet brother and I! Preferably the theme should be Cinderella, I will be Cinderella of course and Yuki can be the handsome little mouse that turns into a stallion, and then we shall arrive to the ball where we will proclaim our brotherly bond to the world!" He continued on and on for several moments while I slipped out of the store where Kyo was sitting against the wall with a dark depressing cloud hanging over his head. I stood next to him and smiled with glee, "And this should teach you to keep your goals in mind and never bet against me."

"Yeah yeah…" Kyo mumbled, still depressed, "Just never make me do that again."

"Sorry," I apologized sincerely as possible, "I didn't mean to make you lose your man pride. I just wanted to be a little selfish and torture you a bit."

"What have I ever done to deserve that?!" He shouted at me with an embarrass blush on his face.

I held one finger to his face, "You took me into the mountains and left me alone to die."

"That was one time!" Kyo growled at me, "And I didn't leave you alone to die! I went back to the house because I forgot something!"

"And forgot to take me with you!"

"I thought you wouldn't want to hike all the way back down after finally getting to the top so I went back by myself!"

I crossed my arms and shifted my weight to my right side, "What did you forget that you left me in the mountains all alone?"

"I forgot my towel…" He mutters, probably hoping that I wouldn't hear him, but I did.

"Your towel!" I yelled at him, attracting small attention, "You left me alone with wild hungry women eating bears for a towel?!" Kyo started walking away from me, wanting to get away from me and the people that were slowly gathering around. There was no way he was getting away from me though; I would follow close to him no matter what. "Don't you know that women periods attract bears! That puts me in danger when I'm alone! You fought bears before so I needed you to protect me!"

Kyo rounded on me with a flustered face, "One: that's not true! And two: I never fought a bear so calm down!"

I did so because I was tired of arguing over nothing and we were already almost at the house, "Alright, fine I forgive you for leaving me in the woods to die."

Kyo groaned with aggravation, "Will you drop it? I didn't leave you alone to die."

I smiled at him coyly as I stepped one foot in the doorway, "Yeah, I know, I just like making you mad."

Kyo looked at me perplexed, "Why?"

I giggled sweetly, "Because you look so cute when you're mad." I admitted before prancing in the house leaving him outside.

"Whaa?!"

_I was so happy when you smiled_

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_


	20. Just the thing!

For the record, I never get writers block so that will never be the excuse for my tardiness!

_(c) Natsuki Takaya _

* * *

><p><em>I was so happy when you smiled<em>

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_

* * *

><p>Ayame came by for another visit today…as soon as we got home from school we found him in one of Shigure's robes lounging round in the living room. Yuki and Kyo were less than pleased to see him so relaxed in someone else's home so they quickly made their exit to their rooms and shut the door behind them without another word. What struck me the most, besides the fact that Ayame wasn't at the shop again, was that they left me and Tohru down here alone with him.<p>

Tohru had made Ayame some tea while I ran to our room to change out of my uniform. 'I wonder why Ayame's here this time…maybe he's here to check up on Yuki…' I pulled my hair out of its long braid, 'It's great that he's putting in so much effort to connect with Yuki. If only Yuki would make the attempt to meet Ayame half way too.'

Walking back into the living room, I gave Tohru a chance to go change clothes. Sitting down at the table across from Ayame I rested my chin on my hand, "So, Ayame, what brings you over this time?"

Ayame chuckled deeply and pulled out a medium stack of blue cards, shuffling them like a pro, "To check up on Yuki naturally, but I also wanted to show you these!" He excitedly handed me a dark blue card with two red flowers on the front with yellow kanji written on the card.

"_'Trust comes first; Ayame; value from the heart.'_ What kind of ad is this? It doesn't describe the store at all." I said just as Tohru joined us at the table, taking the card that Ayame handed to her.

She read the card and smiled at the pretty design, "Ahh…these are so nice."

Ayame smiled proudly at the praise, "Yes I know. I came up with the design myself." He boasted. He perked up a bit when he saw Yuki walking by, "Not to worry Yuki," He held up a card between his fingers, "I brought one for you too." He threw the card like a ninja with a shuriken towards Yuki, who caught it expertly between his own fingers.

Yuki flipped the card over and read the cover. A dark cloud of dread loomed over his head, it was pretty obvious what he thought of the card.

"As luck would have it, business has really picked up with these new advertisements. It seems that more and more people are coming to realize what I've known all along: in the entire world, there isn't lovelier shop to be found than mine!"

"I want to see it." Yuki stated suddenly, stopping us all cold. Ayame's ad cards cascaded out of his hand like a waterfall, Tohru's eyes bugged out of her head, and my jaw officially dropped. There was no way that we heard that right. Yuki didn't say that. We were hearing things.

"What did you say?" Ayame asked in unmasked disbelief, but there was still hope in his deep voice.

Yuki lifted his head and explained himself, "I think I'd like to take a look at this shop of yours to see if it's really as great as you and Miss Kojima say…"

I don't remember saying anything like that.

Then like a man on a mission, Ayame bolted out of his seat and ran off somewhere, but we could his his voice very clearly, "Listen to this Shigure! Yuki – yes that Yuki – came to me with tears in his eyes saying that by all means he would like to visit my shop! He practically begged me to let him come! I never thought I lived to see the day! Has there ever been such a joyous day as this?! No, I dare say there has not! I can't contain myself!" He laughed joyously as he ran across the hall to use the phone, "Listen to this Hatori, I have wonderful news! Yuki! Yes, that Yuki!"

"Stop it!" Yuki shouted snatching the phone away from his brother, holding it far away from him as possible.

The big happy smile didn't fade from Ayame's lips one bit, "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm excited!" He explained, "Of course you can come! Let's make it this Sunday!"

"Huh?"

"Zakura, you have the day off!" He declared, "Spend it as you see fit! Don't come into work at all!"

I gave him a deadpanned look, "I don't even work on Sundays."

"And Tohru! You must come along too! A prince must always have his princess!"

"Eh?" Tohru said meekly with a blush.

Ayame went up to Kyo's room and opened the door without knocking, "And as for you, Kyo, you really don't have to come. You won't be needed."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kyo asked confused.

"Aww, don't look so disappointed. Zakura will be here with you." Ayame told him, "In fact, here have one of my ads!"

"Get outta here, you sicko!" Kyo shouted throwing something heavy at Ayame.

_'Huh…why is it that he only wants Tohru to go with Yuki? I thought Ayame would want to show everyone his shop just to brag about it.'_ I placed a finger on my lip in thought, _'Hmm…could it be that Ayame has something in store for them? Maybe he knows that Yuki is comfortable around Tohru and he would be more likely to go with company…that has to be it!'_ I nodded to myself in agreement.

"Miss Honda…will you go with me?" Yuki asked curiously.

Tohru nodded with a blush, "If you don't think I'll be in the way."

Yuki shook his head, "I've decided…that I'm going to try…" He said softly, "…even if it's just a little bit…I want to understand him more…and I'd like it if you came with me."

I smiled softly to myself, _'Aw…Ayame's going to be so happy to know that.'_

Tohru nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, because I have wanted to see what Ayame's shop is like! Hatsuharu, Momiji, and Zakura say they have outfits for nurses, stewardesses, and maids!" She babbled excitedly.

I held up a finger, "Don't forget the cosplay!"

Yuki paled even more, "Nurses? Cosplay? What the…?"

I smiled uneasily at him. '_May Kami have mercy on him…speaking of mercy.'_ "Tohru."

She turned towards me, "Yes?"

"When you get to the shop and see a woman with thin glasses and braided pigtails, be careful." She tilted her head in confusion, "If you can't run away from her then submit to her will and you will be saved." Mine can be a dangerous person if you try to resist her urges.

Ayame came bouncing back into the room, "Come now, Zakura, you're not telling them about _her_ are you?"

I crossed my arms firmly, "I have to give her some kind of warning in case she might do something to her. What if she tries to put her in _'the thing'_ that we've been working on?"

Ayame suddenly smiled, "Oh! You mean _'the thing!'_ That would be perfect for Tohru to model!"

Our debate caught Tohru and Yuki's interest, "What's _'the thing'_?"

"Of course it would be perfect for her, but I don't think they would be ready for it." I told him, "It's not ready for their virgin eyes. You forget that they don't think or see things the way we do when it comes to this sort of thing."

Ayame frowned and nodded in agreement, "Yes that is true, but none the less '_the thing_' would look perfect on her and Yuki should definitely see her in it."

"What's '_the thing'_?" They asked again a little panicked.

"Well, it is making a comeback so it should be alright for her to wear it since she is innocent." I conceded, "But I would like to see a picture of her in it." I demanded pointing a finger at him.

Ayame nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, consider it done."

"What's _'the thing'_?!"

-0-0-0-

That Sunday Yuki and Tohru said their good-byes and went out the door to Ayame's shop. Once the front door closed, Kyo came downstairs puzzled.

"Hey, where is everyone?"

I jabbed my thumb towards the door, "Everyone's gone out for the day. Even Shigure."

Kyo's eyes widen a bit in realization, "Oh yea. The rat and Tohru are going to that psycho's shop…where you work, right?"

I nodded and walked to the living room to watch tv. Shortly after he followed in with me and sat at the table. "Yeah. Yuki decided to try to understand Ayame a little bit better by going to his shop to see what its like. Tohru was curious to see what it's like too, but also to act as a security blanket for Yuki in case he gets overwhelmed."

Kyo rested his chin on his palm, "Is it really that bad? The shop, I mean."

I grabbed the remote and started flipping through channels, "It's a normal fabric store really only with props and stuff. All of our finished articles of clothing are kept in another room to avoid damages." When I couldn't find anything I handed the remote to Kyo, slightly blushing when my fingers brushed against his.

"Do you like working there?" He asked as he flipped through channels, "What's it like?"

"I'm work with Ayame." I told him deadpanned, "What do you think its like? It's annoying as hell sometimes when customers come in hordes but when I finish the clothes and someone buys it I feel a since of pride and accomplishment." I told him.

Kyo finally settle on an action anime, "I guess working is a pain in the ass."

I snorted at his blunt response, "Yeah it is. What about you?" I asked him, "Don't you ever think about working?"

Kyo shrugged one shoulder, not looking away from the tv, "I don't know…never really thought about it. I'm not really good at anything."

I nearly let out an aggravated sigh. 'There he goes again, putting himself down!' "Kyo, you are good at some things!" I insisted, "You're good at history, Japanese lit class, gym class, you're a half decent cook, and you're wicked at martial arts!" I listed to him.

He raised his head from his palm, looking at me blankly for a moment before blinking and sinking back into his sour mood, "So, none of that stuff is going to get me a job anywhere."

"Maybe or maybe not, you'll never know unless you try." I said, "I'll even help you if you want. We just have to look at you're qualities." I reached across the table to poke his strong arms, "You've got strong muscle arms you could easily do something that requires a lot of heavy lifting." He looked mildly interested in that. He probably wants to do something he's very interested in, something he's good at, like Tohru and I. Then it hit me like a freight train, "Martial Arts! You could be a martial arts instructor!"

Now that peaks his interest, "Yeah?" He paused in thought.

"Like you do with me only with more people!" I can totally picture Kyo as a martial arts instructor. "You know what you're doing when you're teaching me. And didn't you once tell me about your master teaching you? Maybe if you ask he can show you how to do it."

But when those words left my mouth Kyo suddenly became depressed. "I can't ask him…he's not around…and even if he was there's absolutely no way Akito would approve of it…"

I opened my mouth to protest but he closed his eyes and laid his head down in the crock of his elbow, showing that he wasn't going to listen anymore.

'_So it's not just because he's feels like he doesn't have the qualities to do what he dreams, the Zodiac curse and Akito is what's holding him back too. It's times like this I wish with all my heart that there would be a way to break this damn curse…'_

*Ring~ Ring~*

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the house phone. After turning down the volume to the tv I went into the hall to answer it on the fifth ring. I held the phone to my ear and spoke clearly, 'Hello, Shigure Sohma house."

"I need your help…" Hatsuharu said on the other end, not sounding at all like his usual laid back self.

Concern instantly flooded me, "What's wrong, Haru?"

"Can I talk to you privately?" He asked, not answering my question.

"Sure."

-0-0-0- Later in the day, the sun is going down – At the park -0-0-0-

As soon as I got to the park I found Haru sitting on a bench near the fountain alone, slouched over with his elbows on his knees. I ran over towards him, a little out of breath, and sat down next to him. I didn't say anything to make him speak to me. I didn't want to pressure him to talk when he was probably sorting out his thoughts.

After a few minutes he looked up at the fountain of shooting water, "You know…" He began to say, "You should tell Kyo how you feel about him before it's too late."

I nearly fell over off the bench. _'He had me worried over nothing?! Why's he talking about me and Kyo?!_' "H-huh?"

"Tohru and Yuki too…they should confess to each other before it's too late. If you guys keep tip toeing around each other, you'll be torn apart before you even get a chance to be together." He said sadly.

I stared at Haru perplexed. _'What in the world is he talking about? Is he trying to tell me something?'_ "What are you trying to say, Haru? Why are you concerned with us, I thought we are here because of you?" He turned his head towards me, "Haru, you're kind of like Tohru…you usually don't talk about yourself, you're not a selfish person, and you put others concern before yourself. So tell me how _you_ are feeling for once." He hasn't really confessed much to me since we first met when he told us about his feeling about Yuki.

"I'm not unselfish, you know." He said a moment latter before giving me a dull look that I was used to, "Why else do you think I turn Black and rip things apart?"

I slightly nodded my head to the side in agreement. He had a point there.

A depressed frown fell on his lips as he slouched over again in pained defeat. "My girlfriend is avoiding me." He stated, taking me completely by surprise. I had no idea that he had a girlfriend. Though why should I really be surprised? Good-looking guys like Haru has to have a girlfriend stashed away somewhere. "I thought everything was great between us until she started acting weird. Her vibrant smiles turned into tight ones, her eyes that used to shine with happiness and light turned sad and dark. She used to be as ease around me, but now she's too jumpy to be near me." The more he spoke the more depressed he got, but in his eyes I could see he was also trying to figure out what caused his girlfriend's personality change, "She's not a member of the Zodiac so it was a challenge to be fully with her but she took it all with open arms." When he sensed my confusion he elaborated slightly, "Friends of the family, they often visit the Sohma house for business or other…that's when I first met her. I thought that it would be okay since her family is friends with ours…but I guess…" he gave a light sigh, "My theory is that she met Akito and he said something and that could be the reason why she's being withdrawn…" He clenched his hands together against his forehead, "I recently found that she got hurt and had to stay in the hospital for a while. When I went to see her she was badly hurt, but she kept smiling tightly at me and lied through her teeth. Like a fool I took every lie and believed it to be the truth and ignored it all." He unclasped his hands and leaned to the back of the bench and looked at the orange sky, "Even though she's avoiding me with her entire body…why do I still feel the need to use all my strength to get to her?"

I looked at him fondly and placed one hand on his, "Because you love her just as much as she loves you." He looked at me with a lost defeated expression that didn't suit him at all, "I'm betting that she's avoiding you… to protect you." When Hatsuharu mentioned Akito, I immediately knew he had something to do with this. Just as Akito ruined Hatori's eye and his relationship with Kana, and the budding relationship between Kisa and Hiro, I'm positive that he's now doing something with Haru and his girlfriend. To me it seems like this 'head of the family' is thriving on people's suffering. It's childish that he's not allowing members of his own family to be happy! When they find happiness, he rips it away from them and takes sick pleasure in it. I swear if I ever meet this guy I'm going to rip him a new one! "Just give it time, Haru. I'm sure things will get better between the two of you."

For once Haru looked doubtful but he nodded, "Yeah. The only thing I can do is be strong for now…" I felt bad that I didn't make him feel any better. I suck at not being Tohru. She could cheer him up no problem. "Although I am serious about you confessing to Kyo." He said out of the blue again, "He may try to play the tough guy and blow it off, but he does like you. Feeling like love scare him and make him wet his pants because of Kagura, but if you confess to him in your own sweet way I'm sure he'll curl up to you." I snorted at him. "He may even ignore you at first but don't give up on him. Kyo's just not used to it after being hated and ignored for so long."

I nodded in agreement, remembering how my conversation with Kyo about work turned sour when we talked about what he would be great at. I turned to Haru with a smile, "I'll try harder if you will."

Haru gave a small smile of his own and nodded as well, "Let's both try our best then."

Yes, let's not give up on our feelings no matter how much it hurts, no matter how hard it gets…

* * *

><p>Later that night…<p>

I heaved a tired sigh when I got off the phone with Ayame. He just got through telling me what had happened at the shop when Yuki and Tohru went to visit. He and Yuki had connected a bit in some way. He also told her that Yuki might've experienced his first romantic fantasy after seeing Tohru in 'the thing' and requested that I make a few more of 'the thing'. Scratching my head, I tried to think of the things I would need to make more of 'the thing'. I walked into the kitchen to grab a snack and drink before going to bed. I was nearly startled when I saw Kyo already in there eating a cookie with a glass of milk next to him on the counter.

He looked up at me, mid bite into the cookie, "Oh. Hey."

I blinked once in mild shock, "Uh, hey…you still up?" I asked looking at the kitchen clock on the wall that read 10pm.

Kyo looked to the side and finished the cookie he was eating, "Yeah, I was looking at some stuff and lost track of time." He drank his cup of milk, "I'm about to go to sleep and you should too."

I walked over to the counter and stole a cookie off his plate, "I know and will. I just want to do a few last minute things before I do."

He placed his empty on the counter, "Can't you put it off until later?"

"Its work related stuff. If I put it off it'll take longer to get done." I reached for his empty glass to put in the sink at the same time he did. Our hands and fingers overlapped and my heart jumped at the contact I almost wanted to drop the glass, but I held onto it and so did he. I shyly looked at his face and was instantly trapped in his beautiful red eyes. I was grounded to the earth every time I look into his eyes, I see a strong man holding a huge burden on his broad shoulders. Many times I just want to wrap my arms around him and hug all his burdens and pains away. "Kyo…"

He closes his eyes and takes my hand off to place the cup in the sink on his own. I held my hands against my chest as he turned away from me and walked out of the kitchen without a word. I know I couldn't let this sting me though. I remembered what Hatsuharu said about Kyo. I had to be patient with him…

* * *

><p>So close and yet so far! Sorry kiddies!<p> 


	21. Find a reason for living

I live! Seriously, who thought I was virtually dead?

_(c) Natsuki Takaya _

* * *

><p><em>I was so happy when you smiled<em>

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_

* * *

><p>(2 week jump into the future)<p>

"Okay, I think I got everything." I said with a final stroke of my pen. I looked over the list once and handed it to Tohru to review, "Although I'm wondering if we should really sneak off and go to the party circuit in Shibuya just to Para Para."

Uo sighed and crossed her arms, "Well, there isn't going to be anything better to do. This trip is pretty standard."

Hana didn't look up from her book bout restaurants, "There won't be much fun things to do. There are only temple, shrines, and restaurants." She turned a page, "If we're lucky perhaps we'll find a park with animals that will provide us with entertainment."

I shook my head lightly at this, "This is going to be a terrible trip."

The classroom door slid open quickly, "Tohru! Zakura! Yuki! Kyo!" Momiji yelled frantically running to us, "It's terrible! Terrible!"

"Things are terrible here too." Uo said.

"Huh?" Momiji asked, pulling a cute confused face. Everyone looked at the brooding Kyo next to Tohru, "Uh-oh, what's wrong with Kyo?"

"We were discussing what our groups should do on our trip," Tohru explained to Momiji, "And…well…" She hesitantly looked at Kyo, "Kyo's doesn't like how they're forming."

"Oh. He's with Yuki?" Momiji guessed on his first try. It was fate's way of turning this trip to even more of a disaster by letting those two in the same group.

"There's no way I'm going along with this!" Kyo shouted. "I don't have to stay with the group!" That was true, so why is he still worked up?

Uo smirked at him, "That's true, but it's more fun with you there. That way we can mess with you."

Kyo's shoulders sagged a bit, "What am I a toy to you two?"

Uo and Hana smiled and nodded, riling Kyo up even more. Momiji whined at Kyo bout being selfish for not wanting to go on a trip with Tohru and I. As everyone got carried away with teasing him, no one but me noticed Yuki quietly standing in the door way. Seeing him reminded me that Momiji was calling us for something terrible.

"Momiji?" I called him, getting his attention, "Weren't you calling us about something terrible?" I asked.

Momiji was temporarily confused before his face lit up when he remembered, "Oh! That's right!" He continued to smile as he told his news, "It's terrible! Haru turned Black and is tearing our classroom apart!"

Our faces dropped, "Why didn't you tell us sooner!?" Yuki and Kyo shouted as we all ran out of the class room to run to the first floor where the first year classrooms were. Momiji lead us to the direction of his and Haru's class and Yuki soon went to the front to part the halls where the students and teachers crowded.

While Yuki tried to keep the crowd back the rest of us followed Kyo into the classroom. I looked at the damaged and briefly wondered who was going to pay for all of it, "Looks like he hasn't turned into an ox yet." I said taking Tohru's hand to move her around the overturned desks and broken glass.

"Hey, Haru!" Kyo yelled at the dual haired teen standing in the middle of the room with his back to us.

"What?!" He snapped at us. Tohru and I were taken aback by the intensity he snapped and the dark fire in his eyes. We've never seen him like this.

"He really turned the classroom to ruins." Momiji commented airily as Yuki came in to do damage control. If anyone could calm Haru down it would be him.

"What are you doing, Harau?"

Haru picked up a chair and threw it across the room, smashing it to pieces. Whoa. "What does it look like?! Tearing the place apart!"

Kyo placed his hands in his packets, "Cut the crap, Haru. When you get violent, it just causes me problems."

Haru turned his attention to him, "Shut the hell up, stupid cat!" He snapped, "Your existence causes problems!"

Ouch. Kyo went closer to him, getting in his face, "Is that so? Wanna say that again to my face?"

I could sense another violent fight brewing, "Uh, Kyo?"

Yuki sighed tiredly, "Don't let him bait you, stupid cat."

"Well, why not stop standing there and do something?!"

Yuki looked at Haru, "I don't know what happened, but you can't be violent at school whenever you want…"

Haru covered his ear to block out Yuki's lecture, "Oh stop! You just don't want me to transform because then we'll all be in trouble."

"That's not what I'm saying…"

"Stupid!" Haru snapped again, "You're all stupid! You wanna live your life scared of being ratted out all the time?! Screw that! I'd rather let everyone know everything!"

My eyes narrowed with concern and I stepped forward, "Haru-"

I was taken aback when he roughly grabbed my upper arm, "You agree with me don't you?! You don't want us to live like this anymore right?! So figure it out!" He nearly shook me if Kyo hadn't moved me back and punched Haru across the face.

As he stumbled back Kyo glared murderously at him, "I don't know what made you snap but don't get Zakura involved with your stupid problems." He gently pushed me back to the others, standing between me and Haru.

Haru rubbed his red cheek, "I know your game. Damn showoff for your girlfriend."

"I'm not." Kyo growled.

Haru smirked, "Sure you are. You wanna act tough especially for her. Does she scratch you under your chin if you're a good kitty?" He mocked.

"Shut up!" Kyo shouted, raising his fist.

Haru put is guard up, "What? You gonna break my neck?"

"Why stop at the neck?" Kyo grabbed his collar and Haru did the same, "I'll break every bone in your body!"

"Haru! Kyo!" Tohru and I shouted in concern, but to our surprise someone else stepping in with a bucket of water. We were all taken aback that water was dumped on the arguing teens. The room was deadly silent.

"Teacher…?" Yuki asked when passive female teacher place the empty bucket in one hand and placed a fist on her hip.

"That's enough you idiots. If you want to fight do it on your own time and somewhere else." She said so calmly it was almost scary.

Of course Kyo wasn't bothered by her apathetic attitude, "Dammit! Why me, too?!"  
>She stared at him, "You lost it too, didn't you?"<p>

Suddenly Haru snapped out of his stupor and he was back to the airheaded laid back Haru we loved, "That was refreshing…"

"Then while you're being refreshed, come with me to the faculty room." She stated before telling the rest of us to come too.

-0-0-

After giving our statements Haru was the last to go in while the rest of us waited outside to hear what would happen to him. Momiji stood beside Tohru, holding her hand as she stared worriedly at the door, "I wonder if Hatsuharu is going to be okay."

"Obviously, they're lecturing the hell out of him." Kyo said, tugging his now dry uniform on. "I doubt he's listening to them."

"What on earth happened to make him snap like that?" Yuki wondered, "Momiji?"

Momiji frowned in thought and looked down, "I wasn't watching him the whole time. I thought everything was normal…but…maybe something happened recently…'cause he seemed down…"

I looked the other way in thought. _'Could it…be about his girlfriend?'_

"Ah!" Tohru gasped when Haru finally came out of the faculty room, "Hatsuharu!" Everyone ran over to him, "What happened?"

Haru nonchalantly cracked his neck, "Well, she called my mom. I have to wait for her here."

"What are you going to do until then?" I asked him.

"I'm going to fix up the classroom and then I'm going to get yelled at by the teacher and my mom who will probably laugh."

I shook my head at him, "That's not what I meant."

He looked at me knowingly, "I know…" He lowered his eyes with regret, "By the way…I'm sorry for being so violent towards you. You didn't deserve it." He turned to Kyo, "Hey, Kyo, nice fight."

Kyo glowered, "You're not going to apologize to me?"

Hatsuharu turned his head towards us, "With how my mom is, it's going to take her an hour to get her make up and stuff on. I'm going to kill time until then." And with that he went on his way.

I watched him with concern, "Should we leave him on his own?"

Kyo crossed his arms, "That guy is so damn laid back. He'll be fine."

Despite that, Yuki went to follow him after apologizing to Tohru and I for the trouble. Momiji and Tohru held hands in comfort while Kyo remained indifferent. I wonder if there was any point in going back to class after everyone had seen Haru rip the class room apart.

"I'm going home too." Kyo decided as he looked at me, "I'm going to the dojo. Do you wanna come?" While sparing against Kyo usually helps with pent up anger, i wasn't in the mood for it today. I shook my head negatively, but he didn't seem to bothered by the fact that i didn't want to go. "By the way, the next time Haru goes Black stay away away from him. He's dangerous…it can't be helped."

Tohru was more startled than me by Kyo's warning, "B-but that would be rude!"

"Rude?!" Kyo snapped at her, "He was being rude! Don't you get it?!"

Pursing my lips and narrowing my eyes in irritation I reached up and grabbed Kyo's ear and pulled it.

"Gyah! What the hell!"

I pulled it harder, "Don't yell at Tohru!"

Momiji laughed at him, "You are so whipped, Kyo!" He sang innocently.

"Get lost Momiji!"

I pulled his ear harder, "Don't yell at Momiji." I stated simply before smiling at Momiji and Tohru, "We're going to go ahead and leave. We'll be home late, okay?"

Tohru nodded, "Ok." Worry and concern was still dancing in her eyes.

I patted her head with my free hand, "Don't worry. Things will be alright." With one last smile to them I tugged harder on Kyo's ear, "Alright, let's go!"

"Ow! Ow! Will you let go?!"

-0-0-

"Oh, dear," Hanabi placed a tea cup in front of me before sitting down on the couch opposite of the one I was sitting on, "That's quite a commotion from such a young boy. I can't imagine what could've caused him to lose control like that."

I reached for the small cup and took a sip, "It's anyone's guess really. Hatsuharu seems like the kind who keeps personal things close to chest." I stared into the brown liquid, "I'm worried that if he keeps bottling his emotions up like tht, they're going burst like they did today."

"Being as young as he is, he doesn't have a good handle of keeping his emotions under control." She laced her fingers together, "Is there something going on at home or something?"

I fingered the small cup, wondering if I should tell her what Hatsuharu told me. I trusted Hanabi with everything and anything. Like Tohru I can confide in her with anything. I knew she wouldn't just blab Hatsuharu's business if I told her. If anything, she could tell Hatori and Hatori might do something about it. I told her everything that Hatsuharu told me, minus the Sohma curse of course.

Hanabi giggled softly to herself, "Of course there's a girl involved. Young love can do the craziest things to people." She placed a hand to her cheek, "She must be quite the girl for him to tear the classroom apart for her. Sounds like something out a romance book."

I stared deadpanned at her, "Uh, Hanabi, this is kind of serious."

Hanabi snapped out of her daze, "Right, of course." She cleared her throat, "I think Hatsuharu should try talking to his girlfriend to get her to explain why she suddenly started acting so strange. Talking usually solves everything."

I set the cup back on the table on the table after finishing it, "Maybe…I don't want to seem nosy by getting involved so heavily."

Which is what I've been trying to tell you from the beginning." A familiar apathetic came from behind me.

"Hatori?!" I snapped my head around to see him coming into the room with a cup in one hand and a plate of snacks in the other and a red book tucked under his arm, "What are you doing here?"

Hatoari walked around my chair to set the plate and book on the table and handed the cup to Hanabi, "Hanabi received a new shipment of books and suggested that I come over to look at them."

Yeah like I was going to believe that…was he not aware of how close he was sitting next to her and how red her face got? "Riiigght…" I'm sure if it was possible they would be cuddling it up back here. I pouted, _'Everyone else is having romance…when's it going to be my turn?' _I know I have to be patient with Kyo…but I can't help but feel jealous how everyone has a budding relationship growing, while I'm stuck as a seed. "So what books are in?"

Hanabi perked up a bit, "Well, I got a new shipment of Sherrilyn Kenyon books, Shigure Sohma, J. R. R Tolkien, and Hayao Miyazaki."

I cleared my throat awkwardly and stood up, "I'm going to go take a look at them." I walked over to the door, "Excuse me." I slipped out of the room, clutching my shirt, _'is that what its like when you're in the room with your mom and her new boyfriend?!'_

I ventured to Hanabi's new selection and fingered the hundreds of spins of novels, reading the titles to see which one would trigger my interest. I found one and pulled it from the shelf, 'Dance with the Devil.' I scanned the summary on the back and decided to get it along with the red book next to it, 'Acheron.'

"Zakura." Hatori called me walking into the room with his doctor coat on his arm, "Shigure called. Apparently Tohru hurt herself."

"Again?" I quirked an eyebrow. I left the girl a few hours ago, how could she hurt herself in such a short amount of time.

"Yes, if you want a ride home come with me."

"Alright." I complied, following him to the door with Hanabi rushing in tow to see us out. She gave us her love and I wasn't completely surprise when she brushed her hand against Hatori's shoulder. He gave her a slight nod and walked around to the driver side while I got into the passenger side. With a promise to visit again we went on our way.

-0-0-

When Hatori and I walked into the living room I shouldn't have been surprised to see new company. Shigure and Tohru were sitting at the table having snacks as Tohru tried to comfort a light orange hair young man. Hatori sat in front of him and took a look at the young man's injury while I sat next to Tohru and had her explain to me what exactly happened when I left her.

So this guy was the Ritsu Sohma, the hot spring lady's son, and the monkey of the zodiac. Strange how he looked nothing like his mother, but he looked beautiful nonetheless and kind hearted too from what I could tell. Maybe I'll get a chance to talk to him when he's done apologizing and spazzing for nothing…and here I thought Tohru was the jumpiest person I ever knew.

"Um, Shigure?" Ritsu spoke softly to Shigure when Shigure handed his new book to Hatori, "I was wondering…if it's not too much trouble…if I could spend the night here?"

Shigure seemed surprised by this, "This is unusual. Being assertive for once, are you?"

Ritsu fiddled with his fingers, "Um, yes, I just thought…" He looked softly at Tohru, "I wanted to ask…"

"Well, I don't particularly mind." Shigure said, turning into the table to help himself to the snacks, "Make yourself at home."

Ritsu sat timidly between Tohru and me, "Yes…thank you."

I held a cup of fresh tea to Ritsu, "Would you like some tea? Tohru made it."

He was startled a bit, but he took it nonetheless, "Thank you very much."

"It's no problem." I smiled at him, "You look very pretty when you smile. If I didn't know any better I would think you were a girl." He grew flush, "I bet I could make great clothes for you!"

"Y-you make clothes? Just like Ayame?"

I nodded, "Yes, he's my boss actually."

"Oh, he truly is a wonderful person isn't he?" Ritsu grew steadily excited, "I aspire to be as confident as him."

"You know that's not possible." Hatori and Shigure butted in, making Ritsu jump at their blunt statement.

Before I could scold both adults, Kyo came walking in looking a bit put off by all the company, "What the hell are Ritsu and Hatori doing here?!"

0-0-0-0

The next morning during breakfast Tohru and I dragged Hatori to the kitchen to taste test the food to see if it was to his liking before dishing breakfast out. I handed him the saucer after Tohru had filled it and we waited anxiously to see how he would respond.

"It's quite good." He complemented blandly. Geez he's hard to get an emotion out of this guy. "Just right."

Tohru sighed with relief, holding the ladle close to her chest, "Oh, thank goodness. I didn't get a chance to ask you how you liked your food."

I nodded my head and went to set up his plate, "We were worried that it would be too salty or spicy."

"Don't worry about stuff like that." Hatori said, only to have his concern drowned out by Shigure's perverted giggling when he came into the kitchen.

"Aren't they the perfect housewives?!" He gushed, "I bet you want to steal them away, don't you?"

Hatori moved away from Shigure, "You should think twice before you say stupid things like that or else someone is going to send you flying through the roof." And by that he was talking about Kyo who came walking in, glaring murderously at Shigure.

"Who are you calling your housewives?! If you don't knock that crap off I'll break your neck!"

"Oh my! Kyo's scary!" Shigure giggled, practically dancing out of the kitchen away from Kyo's rage.

"Good morning, Kyo!" Tohru said brightly.

Kyo whirled around on her, "And you! Stop smiling and tell him to knock it off! The only reason that stupid dog keeps saying things like that is because you let him get away with it!"

I waved my hand in dismissal, "Oh, it's only harmless fun, Kyo. Shigure would never actually do anything perverted to Tohru." I fixed a cup of sweet Asian pear white tea for Hatori and gave it to him to take to the living room.

"There's no reason to take your jealousy out on her." Hatori commented when he walked past Kyo.

"I'm not!" Kyo denied, "What are even doing here?!"

"Ask Shigure." He said, holding his cup out of Shigure's reach.

"If Hatori's not here then Ritsu's leg could possibly get worse." Tohru tried to explain to Kyo but it seemed to her that he was ignoring her as he went through the fridge looking for something to drink no doubt.

"That has nothing to do with me." He glowered when he saw nothing to drink, "Great, just great, we're out of milk." Kitty needs his milk after all.

"I forgot to tell you, I gave the last bit to Ritsu for his cereal." I said after a beat.

"I kind of figured that!" He yelled at me, "Why didn't you say so before I opened the fridge?!"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I wanted to see the disappointed look on your face because it's cute?"

Tohru took this time to apologize, "I'm sorry, Kyo. I forgot to buy some yesterday on the way home. I'll go buy some more right away."

For once Kyo looked guiltly for opening his mouth, "No, it's okay- you don't have to."

Tohru shook her head, "No, no! It's my responsibility to make sure we're stocked in the kitchen!"

I nudged Kyo in the ribs, "Way to go…"

"I didn't mean-"

"I'M SORRY!" Ritsu screamed, running into the kitchen with his full bowl of cereal, "IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT! I ALWAYS HAVE CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST SO I HAD ZAKURA MAKE SOME FOR ME USING THE MILK THAT MUST'VE BEEN YOURS! I'M THE ONE WHO DRANK THE LST OF THE MILK! I'M THE SINNER! I'M THE EVIL ONE!" All his spazzing was causing milk and cereal to fall in the floor. At least when Tohru spazzes she doesn't make a mess.

"Oh right, you're still here too…"

I grabbed a paper towel and started to wipe up the mess, "Ritsu, please put your cereal down if you're going to go on a rampage."

"Oh! I'm very sorry, Miss Zakura! I just don't know how to make it up to Mr. Kyo!" He apologized quickly before holding his bowl out to Kyo, "Oh, I know! Please use the milk from my cereal. I've barely touched it."

Kyo glared off to the side in disgust, "I'd rather die."

That set Ritsu into another tizzy, "Noooo! What can I do?!"

"Go to the store and buy more!" Kyo yelled. Oh sure it's not okay for Tohru to go, but send and socially unstable cross dresser.

Yuki stumbled sleepily into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes of sleep, "Good Morning…"

"Oh, Yuki," Tohru turned to greet the sleepy teen, "Good morning. You're up late."

Would you believe that that sent Ritsu into another spaz fit? "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY I LET YOU SLEEP I LATE! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE BECAUSE OF ME!"

"Ritu, what the heck are you talking about?"

"YOU'LL BE SUSPENDED FOR BEING LATE AND THEN YOU'LL BE EXPELLED! SORRY!"

All his screaming woke Yuki right up, "Don't go deciding the future of my schooling!"

Shigure poked his head into the kitchen again, "I see he's at it again." He said with a sigh, "You kids watch me; this is how to calm him down." He walked over to Ritsu and poked him in the side. Ritsu froze for a moment before slumping over in a heap. "It's the magic touch!"

-0-0-0-

I've noticed that something seemed to be on both Ritsu and Tohru's mind over the past three days since Ritsu started spending the night. Every now and again they would smile the same way before their smile dropped slightly and then have a daze look on their face. Looking at Tohru now, I can see that she was thinking deeply about something.

"What's on your mind, Tohru?" I asked her as we walked home alone for once.

She was startled out of her thoughts by my sudden question and looked away unsurely, "Um…I'm not sure exactly…" She mumbled, "It's Ritsu…when he smiles it's so very gentle but he blames himself for everything." Kind of like someone else I know. "Before he asked why was he born into this world…and that made me think about mom and how she was happy to have me born into her life."

Smiling softly, I rubbed her head, "I'm happy to have you in my life too, Tohru." She looked at me with a look of awe, "You know that with out you, I would be miserable and unhappy. Being with you has made me happy."

She smiled sweetly at me, "I'm happy to be with you too, Zakura!"

We were going to share a sisterly hug until a high pitch scream tore through the air down the corner from us. "NOOOOOOO! I'M SORRY!" Huh…that scream sounds familiar.

"Ritsu?" Tohru asked curiously when we reached Ritsu seeing him on his knees, tugging a plastic bag from the mouth of a little cat.

"I'm sorry, kitty! But you can't have this! It's for Shigure!"

Taking pity on the poor guy I reached into my bag and pulled out my left over lunch. Taking out my left over salmon I tossed it to the cat who immediately abandoned the whiny man for the lovely piece of fish.

"Thank you, Miss. Zakura." Ritsu held the bag close to his chest, "You see, if Shigure doesn't eat Takoyki his writing slows down…or so he says…"

"I see…" Tohru said as we started walking towards home again. The first 15 minutes of the walk was comfortable until I felt the awkward feeling comes from both sides of me. Ok if these two have something to say to each other then they should come out with it!

"Um!" They said in unison, causing me to quirk an eyebrow. I didn't mean at the same time!

"Y-yes, Ritsu?" Tohru stammered, inviting Ritsu to speak first.

"N-no, what do you have to say?" Ritsu blushed, letting Tohru go first.

"N-no, you should go first!"

"No, I couldn't, please!" They continued to go back and forth.

Oh for the love of- I clapped my hand loudly, drawing their attention. Closing my eyes I hummed and twirled my finger in the air seven times before I pointed to Ritsu, "You speak first."

He was startled of course, but eventually he spoke, "Um…well…there's something I wanted to ask…"

"Yes?" Tohru said politely.

Ritsu fiddled with the plastic bag handle, "Well…my mother…when you met her, she didn't say anything, did she?" We haven't seen her since we went to the hot spring, "I mean about me," He clarified, "She didn't sound ashamed or anything?" When we didn't say anything right away, he tried to backtrack, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't bother you with such questions." He said sadly, "I know it's my fault for being such a useless son…I'm really am hopeless…I'm cursed by the zodiac like everyone else but unlike the others I don't have an outstanding talent. I have to study twice as hard to be able to keep up with everyone else. I'm weak and clumsy…on the 'inside' they often talk about how worthless I am and my poor parents; all they can do is apologize. Ever since I discovered by chance that wearing women's helps me keep my nerves but that only added to the number of things my parents had to apologize for." He shook his head lightly, "I thought I could be stronger and stop dressing like a woman but I don't have the confidence to do something so simple…that's why I'm so worthless." His eyes misted over, "Maybe it would be better if I didn't exist…I'm sure there was no reason for me to be born."

Doesn't that sound familiar…I knew exactly how he felt…when I was younger a few weeks after my dad died and my mom started neglecting me I had wondered what was the point in being alive when my father was gone and my mother wanted nothing to do with me. If I didn't have Tohru and her mother by my side back then…how would I be now? "You're trying to find, aren't you?" I asked him quietly, "Don't give up, yet. Maybe you are born without a purpose or a reason, but maybe you haven't found it yet. Your reason for living could be anything. A lover, family, and friends…a dream or a place you love most." I smiled at my reason for living, thinking of Tohru, Yuki, Shigure, Hatori, Momiji, Hatsuharu, Hanabi, Ayame, Kisa, Uo and Hana…and of course Kyo. "We're all searching for a reason for living…me…I'm hoping to find my reason for living inside someone…" I thought about Kyo's smiling face and how happy I was that I made him smile, "Someday…when I'm brave enough I want to tell that person that 'you're my reason for living.' I want to tell them that I went through a lot and I made a lot of mistakes but those mistakes led me to you and I'm happy that you're my reason for living."

Tohru smiled softly at me, holding my hand, "Me too…" she turned to Ritsu, "And you…even if you're shameless, if you stay true and live your life boldly, someday you might meet your special person and they'll want to eat Takoyaki with you more than anyone!"

Tears spilled from Ritsu's eyes, "…..Thank you…" He choked, holding the plastic bag closer to him, "I wonder…if I can find my reason for living…and if it's possible to find it in someone else…I want to eat Takoyaki with them!" He blushed.

-0-0-0-0-

"Mother, Father…I realize that no parent wants to bury their own child…" I can't believe what we walked into this time, "…but your daughter Mitsuru can no longer bear the harassment of a certain author…" It was Miss Mii writing another suicide letter.

"Excuse me…Mii?" Tohru bowed slightly to meet the woman's face.

Mii jumped up, holding her note pad close, "Please don't stop me! I mean it this time!"

Poor Ritsu looked frighten and confused, "Eh?!"

I shook the woman by the shoulders, "Snap out of it! Shigure's not worth dying for!"

Speak of the devil, he came to the door smiling as if nothing was wrong as usual, "Hello! Did you get my Takoyaki?"

"Shigure!" Mii screamed, "Where were you?!"

Shigure took the plastic bag from Ritsu and took out his Takoyaki, "I went for a walk."

"The manuscript! I need the manuscript! You don't have time for a walk!"

Shigure took a piece of Takoyaki out and before he put it in his mouth he replied, "The manuscript? What makes you think I possibly finished it?"

"Eh?!" Mii and Ritsu gasped, thunder struck.

"Yes, a certain someone names Ritsu showed up and kept me from writing." Shigure sure knew how to rile people up.

"I'M SORRY!"

"YOU COULDN'T FINISH?! THAT'S TERRIBLE! WE'LL HAVE TO DRO PTHE STORY!"

"DROP THE STORY?! THAT WOULD BE DREADFUL! SHIGURE YOU MUST WRITE WITH TAKOYAKI POWER!"

"YES! Write with…"

Shigure turned his back to their screaming and yelling and offered Tohru and I Takoyaki.

"…Takoyaki…power?" Mii mumbled the past part and looked at Ritsu shyly, who in turn did the same.

"?" Shigure, Tohru, and I watched the blushing duo twiddle their fingers.

"Ah…um…what is Takoyaki power?" Mii asked.

"Well, that is- When Shigure eats Takoyaki, he transforms into a great writing warrior."

"No I don't." Shigure stated.

Hearing his voice, Mii turned her attention to him again, "Oh right! Shigure the manuscript!"

"That's right! The manuscript!" Ritsu echoed.

Feeling that his fun was over, Shigure nodded, "Yes, yes."

When we went inside and after introducing Ritsu and Mii, Mii began to tell Ritsu how she came to deal with Shigure on a daily basis, "He ignores the deadline, he writes something completely different from what he promises, he disappears without warning for days at a time…because of him, I've lost all confidence in this job!"

Ritsu's heart went out to the woman, "Oh no! You poor woman! I didn't realize a writer could be so cruel!"

Shigure nodded at his computer screen, "Yes, it's true. We writers can be quite a handful."

* * *

><p>I think Shigure speaks for all us authors<p> 


	22. Kyo's other form

Sooo much work. *cries* This was a toughie to write, mostly because of conflicting thoughts, but it's time to make good on the promise of a faithful reviewer! Hope you're reading this 88dragon06 this is for you!

_(c) Natsuki Takaya _

* * *

><p><em>I was so happy when you smiled<em>

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

Let_'s stay together always_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Ding ~ Ding ~ Ding~ Dong~<em>**

Ah the sweet sound of the school bell was music to everyone's ears at the end of a long hard school day. Summer break was coming fast and as usual the teachers decided to dish out all sorts of projects and tests.

"Oh yeah." The teacher paused in erasing the notes that were on the board to look at us, "Those of you who haven't turned in your papers on career goals be sure to get them in before finals, okay?"

"Yeah." Everyone replied in unison.

"We'll be having Parent-Teacher conferences right after break. Make sure to let your parents or guardians know."

I held in a groan. '_Should I even bother asking mom? Maybe Hanabi will fill in?'_

"Now go home!" The teacher said grouchily after collecting his things. As he went out the door the rest of us loitered around and talked. With break coming up soon there was a lot of buzz on what others were going to do or plan on going during break. I was a bit unsure myself on what to do for my future. I have thought of a few things but I always change my mind because I second guess if I can really make a living with my choice.

"Yo." A hand pushed my head slightly, jarring me out of my thoughts. I looked up and saw Kyo staring at me, "Come on." He jabbed his thumb towards the door where the others were gathered, "We're having lunch outside."

"Un…" I replied a little distracted. I think he noticed but didn't say anything about it. Getting my bento and school things I followed him and the others outside. We found a nice spot outside near a tree to have our lunches.

"It's been a long time since we all ate together like this." Uo commented, shoving her lunch in her mouth.

"There's been so much going on that we keep missing each other." Yuki agreed. We did have our own personal things going on that take up our time.

"Tohru, have you turned in your paper on your future plans?" Hana asked.

"Yes." Tohru said confidently.

Hana frowned, "I see…how troubling… I haven't decided on anything…"

Uo paused in eating, "Me neither. I mean I can make something up, but what would be the point."

I turned to her, "What did you put?"

She smiled brightly and clasped her hands over her chest with a bright blush, "I want to get a real job…so that I will be able to live comfortably with my future family!"

I quirked an eyebrow at her, "You want to be a house wife?"

Uo smirked and rubbed Tohru's head, "You could just get married and have someone else pay the bills!"

"Eh?"

"I was thinking one of those two." Uo nodded towards Kyo and Yuki.

"Huh?!" Kyo, Yuki, and I questioned. Was she suggesting that just cause they're rich?

"Whadda mean 'Huh?!'" Uo raged, "Don't tell me you're trying to say that Tohru's not good enough!"

"N-no! T-that's not what I meant!" Yuki exclaimed flustered.

"Is that a challenge?" Hana demanded, her electric shocks surging around her.

"Don't put words in our mouths!" Kyo shouted.

I calmly continued eating my food, "It would still be a while before any of us could get married…" I looked down at the grass in thought, _'But…goals…careers…dreams…the choices we make to shape our future…my future…'_

"Hey, are you ok?" Kyo asked me out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"You've been spacing out all day." He said, "If it's about that paper don't worry about it. You can be and do whatever the hell you want."

I poked my rice around my bento with my chopsticks, "Even so…it's important to think about." '_We won't be in school forever…and we can't stay at Shigure's house forever either…we will have to get real jobs and support ourselves.' _"What about you, Kyo?" I asked him, "Have any thoughts on your future?"

He looked a little put off by my question. He grunted and continued eating. His silent way of telling me he's not going to answer. Great I might've pissed him off somehow.

"Hey, Kyo…do you mind if I give you a gift?"

"Gift?" He repeated, "What for?"

I shrugged my shoulder, "Just for being you."

He focused on his food, "Whatever…"

* * *

><p>"Where the hell did this rain come from?" Kyo grouched, "It was sunny this morning."<p>

We held our schoolbags over our heads to keep some of the rain off.

"Summer rain sure is unpredictable!" Tohru giggled.

I looked behind me to see Kyo lagging behind. "Why are you running so slowly? You're usually faster than this."

"I just don't feel like running." Was his sluggish reply, "…I hate all this rain."

"Don't mind him." Yuki told me as we came to a crosswalk, "He always gets this way when it rains. I don't mind it because it keeps him quite."

"Shut up!" Kyo shouted with a bit of energy before slouching over not even a second later completely drained, "…you…damn…rat…"

Poor kitty. "If you're tired…I could carry you." I suggested.

He grew flustered, "What?! Why would-"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "If you put up a fight I'll just hug you." I even opened my arms to prove it. That seemed to given him the incentive to run faster at least to get out of the rain or to get out of hugging me I don't know.

-0-0-

"Tch! Well that figures! The rain stops as soon as we get home." Kyo complained.

"Ky~oooo!" Uh oh…

I was about to tell Tohru not to open the door but I was too late. She opened it and we saw Kagura on the other side. It has been a while since we last her.

"Welcome home my darling!"

Kyo rushed past Tohru to slam the door shut and held it there. Now we all know it's going to take more than a door to stop Kagura's love.

The door rattled, "Kyo? Darling? The door's closed!"

"Yeah it closed!" He shouted, "And it'll never open again!"

Kagura punched her fist through the door. Seriously…did he really think that a paper door was going to stop her? "Open it!" Was her demonic demand.

To avoid more damage to the house Kyo complied. Figured it was best to give her what she wanted and make the visit a lot less painless.

"So what do you want?" Kyo asked Kagura when everyone changed clothes and settled in. "State your business and go home."

"Business?" Kagura repeated confused, "I don't have any business."

"Then in that case go home!"

Kagura flinched, "Why are you so cold? I came here to see you!"

"Well I don't want to see you!"

That flipped the switch. Kagura picked up the table, prepared to whack Kyo upside the head with it, but thankfully Shigure came in and pushed Kyo to Kagura. Feeling his body against hers, she dropped the table and cuddled Kyo in bliss. Lucky…

"You two are so lively." Shigure commented, "Why don't you two go on a date?"

How about they don't? I wanted to say bitterly.

"Tohru, didn't you have to go shopping for dinner?"

"Huh?"

"Shopping?" Kagura repeated cheerfully, "Sure! We'll go!"

"I don't want to go!"

Tohru fetched the shopping list and handed it to Kagura, "If it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all!" Kagura grabbed the list and Kyo, "It's a date!" She ran out the house leaving a trail of dust behind her.

Shigure wiped his head, "Operation: Get rid of her is a success."

I pouted angrily. Even if it is just grocery shopping…it's a date…even though he doesn't like it…it's a date…

"Well…while they're doing that." Shigure said, "Yuki, Tohru, why don't you two go on a date?"

"Huh?" They questioned, blushing.

Shigure chuckled, "You two have been tip toeing around. Why not take advantage of the quite and enjoy each others company?"

Without much protest they acquiesce to Shigure's proposal and left the house. What the hell was I going to do then?

"Don't have such a long face, Zakura." Shigure said, rubbing my head, "There's actually someone I want you to meet."

"Eh?" Someone from the zodiac maybe?

He led me across the dining room and opened the door to his office. Sitting in his office was a man in his late 30's it seemed dressed in a kimono, much like Shigure wears daily, and his long grey hair drawn into a low ponytail.

"Zakura…met Kazuma Sohma."

The elder man bowed his head in greeting.

I had to blink several times. "Kazuma Sohma…_The Kazuma Sohma_?" I rushed into the room and fell on my hands and knees before him and stared him straight in the eyes, "_The very Kazuma Sohma_ that taught Kyo everything his knows?!"

He nodded twice with an amused smile.

Unable to help myself I flung myself at him. I didn't care how imformal I was being. I owed this man for making Kyo happy through martial arts, "Thank you!"

I felt him place a hand on my back, "Why are you thanking me, young one?"

I pulled back and spun my tale of stories to him. Although I'm sure he heard a few things from Shigure there are some things I had to tell him personally.

"…even up to this point he's been training me in martial arts! He's a wonderful teacher!"

Kazuma chuckled naturally, "My…it seems like he's been through a lot while I was away. And I'm happy to have a student such as you in my dojo."

I giggled at the praise, "I'm not all the great. Kyo still basically kicks my butt during training, but I guess that's what to be expected when he's been trained by the one he calls 'Master'."

He smiles, almost sadly, "He still uses that term I see..."

"Huh?" I mumbled, noticing the switch in his expression.

He shook his head, "So he's been alright…living here?"

I titled my head to the side in thought, "Well I wouldn't personally know how he feels about living here…he fights with Yuki all the time, he shouts and yells a lot, and often times stays in his room or outside." I said, "But I think he enjoys it somewhat. He's made some friends at school and he does smile a bit!"

"I see." He replied, "That's good…I can't wait to see him for myself…it's been a long time since I've seen him as well as the others."

I was about to ask him why but we heard the front door opening as well as the lovely sound of Kyo arguing about Kagura holding his hand long enough. Jealously immediately swarmed me; first they go on a date and then they hold hands on the way home?! Kazuma stood up to go and greet them while I stayed behind a bit to sort my thoughts about the ugly green monster that was spawning. I shouldn't be so selfish when it comes to wanting Kyo's attention, but I can't help but be attracted to him the same way Kagura is. Sure he's loud, obnoxious, and has a bad attitude sometimes but he has many good qualities.

"Zakura?"

I looked up to see Tohru staring at me worriedly "Are you ok? You look a little flushed."

I shook my head, "I'm fine." I stood up and walked into the living room and saw Kazuma and Kyo gone. Probably went somewhere quite to talk since they had a lot to catch up on. Kagura and Tohru went into the kitchen to make dinner while I went outside to enjoy the feel of after rain. I always did enjoy the feel of mist on my skin.

"Tonight…I'm going to take it off…" I heard Kazuma said gravely from the balcony above him, "It might get noisy…I apologize…"

I quirked an eyebrow, '_Eh? Take what off?' _I probably shouldn't eavesdrop but…

"Zakura?" I heard Kyo behind me.

I jumped at the fear of being caught, "I wasn't doing anything!"

"I can see that." He retorted, "Didn't you want to give me something?"

Well, now he sounds like a greedy kid wanting presents. "Oh yeah." I got to my feet and walked past him, "I'll go get it. Wait here." I walked past Kazuma who was making his way over to Kyo and made my way up to our room and pulled a white rectangle box out of the closet. Inside it contained Kyo's jacket. I had put the finishing touches on it last week and I was proud to say it was finished. I poured my heart into it and deeply hoped that he would love it.

"Aw…it's raining again." Tohru said sadly when she walked into our room. She went to her dresser and pulled out a pair of pajamas, probably for Kagura. "Oh…" She looked out the window, "Mr. Shishou and Kyo are outside…it looks like they're arguing?"

I stood up with the box in hand, "I'm sure it's nothing. If it's comes to fists…" I paused in thought. "…well they're both martial artist…"

"Eh?!"

I made my way downstairs prepared to give Kyo his present. I had debated on whether or not to give it to him alone or not but I suppose it didn't really matter.

"You said it yourself that you hate it here." I heard Kazuma say over the falling rain, "But that's not it…it's not that you hate it." Kyo hates it here? "It's that you're afraid and you want to run away. The warm feelings you compare to drowning in lukewarm water you know it will heal you." He abruptly grabs Kyo's beaded wrist, "You don't want those two to know your true form…more specifically **her** to know. You're afraid of losing her if she finds out. You want to run away from that uncertainty."

Kyo tried to pull his hand back and I grew a little scared of how serious this was getting, "You're wrong!"

"You leave me no choice. I will take away your means of escape." He pulled harder on his hand, "Will she accept you or not? Will you lose her or not…I will help you find the answer." Kyo's eyes grew wide with fear and color drained from his face. I took a step off the porch prepared to stop whatever was going to occur. "Find out whether or not your birthright makes you worthless." With that he pulled off Kyo's beads.

Whatever happened was almost instant. I couldn't turn away…I couldn't breathe without risk of vomiting horribly…I couldn't blink or move. 'What the hell…is that?! That- that thing?! A monster?!'

"DON'T LOOK AT ME!" It growled before running off into the woods.

I dropped the white box in blatant shock and my legs gave out from under me. "…"

"…That is what he has been hiding." Kazuma said after a beat, "That's the cat's other form. Only those possessed by the cat change into that grotesque form." He turned his head to me, "Were you disgusted? Is he so frightening that you refuse to be near him?"

Tohru had suddenly run out of the house and into the woods sobbing loudly with Yuki trailing behind her. Where were they going, I had no clue but I'm not moving. I'm not going in there…not with that- that scary looking lizard-beast. I'm too scared! That thing looked like it could kill me! That wasn't Kyo!

"Zakura!" Shigure yelled frantically, kneeling by my side in the mud. He placed his hands on my shoulders and shook me, "Zakura, you have to go after them!" I shook my head furiously. I can't move. I don't want to move. "Zakura! You're the only one who can bring him back! You have to go after him!"

I pushed his hands off, "Are you crazy?!" I screamed. When did my voice get so high? "Didn't you see that?! You really expect me to go in there?!" I got to my wobbly feet, "I'm not going in there! I'm not going to do anything!"

Shigure stood up as well, "Zakura…"

I shook my head and took off running, "Leave me alone!"

* * *

><p><em>'This is insane! What the hell is going on?!'<em> I had been running none stop purely on adrenaline. I didn't even know where I was running to anymore. I've been in the woods plenty of times to know my way out and yet I find myself lost. 'Where the hell is the way out?!' My foot slipped on mud and I found myself flung over a large root. My body shook from nerves until I couldn't take anymore. I head swirled and I felt cold.

"Urgh…" I hurled in the mud and dry heaved for two minutes before I gained some bearing. _'What do I do? I can't handle this.'_

"…What's this?" An apathetic voice reached my ears over the rain, "…could you be…Zakura Kojima?"

I propped myself up enough to look behind me to see a tall pale thin man with black hair and grey eyes. If it wasn't for the lights from the car behind him I wouldn't have been able to see him with all the black he wore. "Who…"

"I heard about you from Shigure and Hatori…" He contined to speak softly under the heavy rain, "But what are you doing out here? Is something wrong?" He asked in almost a mocking tone. He approached me and stood there, "You're probably confused as to who I am. I'm Akito Sohma."

_'Head of the family?_' I breathed heavily as the nausea returned with a splitting headache.

"Aww…how awful. It serves you right you know…you and that ugly girl Tohru Honda." He chuckled darkly and I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face…if I had the strength. "What did anyone ever expect from you two girls? Clearly you don't understand the burden of our curse…did they really think that you or her could miraculously save us somehow?" He snorted, "You deserve this pain. You deserve to be out here in the rain…alone…" He leaned closer and whispered, "…but don't think this is the end…I'm going to make you regret getting involved with us…I'll make you suffer just as we've suffered…"

"Akito!" I heard Hatori shout from the car. He has been there the entire time? "That's enough…"

Akito chuckled darkly again before making his way back to the car. I heard rapid footsteps from behind me and not a moment later a coat draped over my shoulders. Hatori placed a warm hand over my head, "You will get through this." He said before I felt his forehead on the back of him, his voice shook, "You have to get through this. I know you can…you are a strong young woman…" A moment later I felt him move away from me, taking his warmth with him. I heard the car engine turn over and the lights faded away.

* * *

><p>'<em>Am I really all talk? I talked so much about being there for the Sohma's but when it comes to something like this I run away. But what do they want from me? I'm scared out of my mind! That thing scared me more than anything I have ever seen in my life! That couldn't have been Kyo!'<em> I slumped against the concert wall that led to the forest to the Sohma house. I had finally found my way out. _'I can't do anything…I don't know if I can. I already ran away…what could I do to fix anything? Tohru's the one who fixes everything and everyone with her words.'_

"What are you doing out in the rain?" I looked up and saw Hatsuharu this time, "You're going to get sick…"

I looked down, "…"

He kneeled down in front of me, "…I don't know what's going on…but I don't think you should be here…"

"I know that okay?!" I snapped at him, "Akito already told me! I don't belong with the Sohma family! I'm way in over my head! It was stupid of me to think I could ease his pain and end everyone's suffering! I'm stupid and pathetic okay?!" I cried.

"First off: Stop crying you look like a big baby." He raised his voice a bit while rubbing my eye which is pointless due to the rain, "Second: Who gives a damn about Akito? And third: Are you really just going to give up and walk away from your problems?" He questioned, "Wasn't it you who told me to face my own problems with my girlfriend? If I was any other guy I would've walked away from her because she's not worth it. But I'm _fighting for her_ because _she is worth it_. I'll face Akito a hundred times if it means I can be with her…what about you? Are you willing to face Kyo's other form because Kyo's worth it or are you going to sit here and cry?"

I jutted my bottom lip out. "But I'm scared…"

"And that's fine." He said gently this time, "I'm sure Kyo's scared too and I'm sure deep down he wants you to come to him and accept him for who he is and the burden he carries. I know that this is hard for you but you really are the only person who can bring him back."

"…" I closed my eyes, 'Everyone is expecting so much from me…they're putting so much faith in me…faith that I don't even have in myself…Kyo…if that really is his other form…and if I love Kyo as much as I thought I did…I shouldn't be sitting here like an emotional teenager…I'm not the only one hurting…this is effecting everyone…and for once I can't rely on Tohru to fix things…this time I have to…and for Kyo I'll do it…the only problem is…'

"Haru…?"

"Hm?"

I looked up at him, "I need a little nudge." My legs were still locked and frozen.

He looked amused at me before holding his hand out, "One nudge coming right up."

* * *

><p><em>"Daddy!" I giggled loudly as he hoisted me up in the air before bringing me back into his arms so he could cuddle me, "You're squishing me!" I laughed.<em>

_"I can't help that you're so adorable!" He squeezed me tighter._

_"You're hugging me too much!" I hugged him back just as tightly._

_Dad let out a tired yawn before he slumped down against a tall oak tree with me still in his arms. I looked up at him curiously and saw tired lines on his face, "Daddy, tired?"_

_He nodded his head, "Just a bit." He yawned again._

_"You should take a nap." I suggested. "We could've stayed home if you were sleepy. Naps are important you know."_

_Dad got comfortable against the tree, "yes they are, but you said you wanted to go to the park today."_

_"I could've waited…I know you're tired."_

_He yawned again, "I know, but I don't mind going to the park and doing what you want to do."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because you're my sweet pea and I love you." He hugged me closer than before, "Sometimes we do things we don't want to do to make the people we love happy. I would do anything for you."_

_I cuddled closer to him and kissed him on the cheek, "I love you too, daddy. Let's take a nap okay? Then we can play again when we wake up."_

_He nodded, "And then we can have ice cream after."_

* * *

><p><em>Sometimes we have to things we don't want to do for those we love. So even though I'm scared of Kyo's other form…if I want him to come back home…I'm going to have to bring him back myself.<em>

"Kyo!" I heard Tohru scream.

I broke through the trees to see her and Yuki basically wrestling with Kyo and losing badly. When I saw Tohru sliding across the mud I quickly grabbed a nearby stick and ran towards him screaming. "Don't hit Tohru you jerk!" I smacked him with the stick repeatedly until he swiped it out of my hands but even then I wasn't going to stop. I kicked and punched his tough skin over and over demanding him stop and come back home with us until my voice was cracked and hoarse. He fought against me just as hard mind you, swiping at me with his claws, cutting my arm and waist. If Yuki hadn't been here to help me subdue him I don't think we would've been able to pin Kyo down long enough for us to beg and plead him to come back home. I spilled my guts how much I wanted him to stay with me – us at Shigure's house, how much I wanted us to go to school together, to eat together…how much I enjoy training together and watching the stars on Shigure's roof. "Just come back home you idiot!" I screamed clinging to his arm.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…?" I felt the rough skin on his arm recede to the smooth tan skin that I love so much. I looked him in his beautiful red eyes to see sign of tears. He chuckled humorlessly.

"Only you…could knock some sense into me." He looked away, "It's okay…that you were scared…that you ran away. It showed that you really looked at me…" He grabbed my hand, "…you always look at me…that's what I've wanted all along. You always come to me even when I don't want you to. It's easy to share my worries with you…it's easy to be around you." He looked at me with a small stream of tears falling, "It's all I ever wanted to have someone understand me and stand to be around me." He quickly pulled me into his arms and kissed the side of my head, "Please let's stay together."

Before I could respond he transformed into his little cat form with his pants slumping off of him. I smiled softly and rubbed his head between his ears.

"Is he okay?" A wet muddy Tohru asked approaching us with a battered Yuki.

I picked Kyo up in my arms, noticing him purring lowly with content, "Yeah." I whispered looking at Kyo before looking at them with exhaustion, "He's okay. Let's head back…together…"

-0-0-00-

The next morning…

After everything last night it seemed light a great weight had lifted. A weight that I didn't know was there. Something had shifted yesterday. I don't know what exactly and I don't know if I could focus on it right now with all the pain that I'm in. I winced while lifting up my cup to sip the tea Kagura had made before leaving this morning. She had stayed long enough to help Tohru and I wrap whatever cuts we had and left when breakfast was done. Kyo slept soundly in his room and Yuki slept soundly in his own room as well.

"I think I'll take my leave now." Kazuma said slowly getting to his feet after he finished his breakfast.

I stood up slowly as well since the scratch wound at my side was giving me a bit of trouble, "I'll walk you."

He nodded and together we put our sandals on and walked along the path that led back to the town. For a long while neither of us said anything. Part of me wanted to ask him why he did what he did last and why did he leave without saying anything to Kyo.

"Um…" I started but changed my mind at the last moment. It really wasn't any of my business.

"I didn't say anything to Kyo because I didn't know what to say." He said with an unhappy smile on his face, "I think the reason I took Kyo in was to atone. My grandfather was possessed by the cat just like Kyo. He was slandered by his family…they treated him very badly…I was no different. I said something very cruel to him and he smiled and forgave me. My grandfather died and I grew up…then Kyo was born and I saw firsthand the harsh reality he had to face because of what he was born into. So I took him in to atone to what I had done to my grandfather. I don't know when I started to love him like my own son." He smiled lovingly and I knew that love was real. You can't fake love like that. Kyo has a way of growing on people. "I ignored his will and took off his beads…I pushed my feelings onto him…it must've been a big burden…that's why I don't know what to say to him."

I smiled at him, "I lost my father when I was young but I remember very clearly that he loved me with everything in his body. I remember something he told me one day: Sometimes we do things we don't want to do for those we love. You did something you didn't want to do to Kyo and the guilt and love you have…you are very much like his father." I giggled, "To me anyway…I bet Kyo is just too shy to say anything."

Before he could open his mouth to reply we heard Kyo running up to us wearing the jacket that I made for him yelling for Kazuma. "Why?!" He questioned before running up to Kazuma and started to attack him. Well, failing anyway. Kazuma dodged every one of Kyo's punches with ease. I was surprised…for an old-ish guy he was moving very well. "How could you just leave without saying anything?! Did you think I would get mad or something?!" There was a pause in Kyo's movement, "Or…are you sick of me? I know all I do is cause you trouble…I'm sorry. You sacrificed so much to raise me and I only act like a rotten kid. Using you to run away…I'm sorry. I'm not perfect and I have a long way to go before I can stand on my own and not be burden to others…but…but…" He looked up at Kazuma with sheer determination, "…Someday I'll be the kind of guy who's worthy enough…" He pulled back his fist and punch Kazuma, "…to call you my dad!"

Kazuma smiled fondly when he caught Kyo's fist in his hand. Then a second later he shouldered Kyo in the chest and sent him flying into a small fence.

"Hey!" I screeched, "Watch the jacket! That took weeks to make!"

"You're still my troublesome son…Kyo…"

Kyo blushed lightly as he slowly picked himself up off the fence, "T-that's no reason to throw me!"

"Well if you couldn't dodge that then maybe you haven't gotten stronger." He joked, rubbing the dirt out of Kyo's hair.

"Zakura!" Kyo finally noticed me, "Did you see? Isn't my master the strongest?"

I nodded my head, "Yeah! I see why you admire him so much! He really is amazing!" I hid my mouth behind my hand, "Although it seems like anyone but Haru can beat you Kyo." I teased.

Kyo stuffed his hands in his pant pockets, "Whatever. You still can't beat me. I'm no match for master anyway."

"You may beat me one day, Kyo." Kazuma assured him before looking at me, "Zakura, will I still see you around my dojo?"

I nodded my head, "Of course! I can't wait to start training under you and Kyo."

He nodded, "Then I look forward to seeing you again."

I nodded back, "You as well. Visit any time."

After we waved good-bye to Kazuma Kyo and I made our way back home in comfortable silence. I had to remember to call Hatori and Haru and thank them for their help last night. Even more…I had to find a way to get in contact with Akito again. I'm not taking his threat lightly and I'm not going to let him get away with threatening me and those I love. The next time I meet him I'm going to give him a piece of my mind.

"Hey, Zakura?"

"Yep?"

Kyo blushed lightly and gestures to the jacket, "Thanks for this. It means a lot…"

I returned the blush, "It's no problem…"

"I'll take good care of it."

"Please do." I graced him a tight threatening smile, "Because if you so much as rip a hole in it – I'll never forgive you!"

"Alright! Alright! Geeze!"


	23. The beginning of summer break

I meant to have this up earlier today, but got ambushed for my birthday so it came up later in the day. Enjoy everyone! Happy upcoming holidays!

_(c) Natsuki Takaya _

_B . A. P : One Shot_

* * *

><p><em>I was so happy when you smiled<em>

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_

* * *

><p><em>It's scary thinking about your future. When we were little and people would ask us what we wanted to be when we grow up it was so easy to say: fireman, policeman, astronaut, or a doctor. Now that we're older our prospective ideas and prospective change…some don't actually fulfill what they wished they could when they're older. Will I ever fulfill my dreams? Will I complete the goals I set for myself? Will I continue to make cosplay to my heart's content? Will that be a good job to have? Will that support me for the rest of my life? After I graduate in a year, ten years down the road…will I be able to live by myself? What if Tohru finds love and doesn't need me around anymore? What of the Sohma's? Realistically will I be able to stay with them forever? When I start to think about those things…I get anxious. I don't know what to do or who to talk to. Anxiety starts to swell up and before I now it I'm sick with worry because I don't know what to do with my future.<em>

"Gyahh." I heard Kyo grumble in the living room somewhat early in the morning. I couldn't really sleep since summer vacation was finally upon us. "I'm hungry."

"I wonder if the others are still sleeping?"

'Tohru? What's she doing up early?' I guessed I missed her when I went to use the bathroom.

"Who knows?"

I leaned against the paper door to eavesdrop feeling a little curious to what the two of them will talk about away from others.

"You and Zakura went to visit the dojo the other day, didn't you? Is your Master well?"

Leave it to Tohru to start a conversation like that.

"Yeah, I guess." Kyo answered and I heard him slurp something. What on earth his he eating at the crack of dawn? "He cut off his ponytail."

"Eh?!" Tohru gasped for some reason shocked, "What a waste!'

"Why? It's not like he's a girl. Zakura said that if he were to dye his hair orange we would really look like father and son." He snorted, "He's like a doting parent."

"…"

"What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing!" she chirped, "So, Kyo, your dream for the future is to inherit your master's dojo?"

Ah…the future again…

"I don't think it's possible." Kyo sighed depressed, "the truth is…I've thought about it but I'm the **cat. **What ever I do…no matter how much I want it…even if my master says its okay…if Akito sys no then that's it-it's over. If there's one thing this stupid family is good at its telling people what they can't do."

"…"

"…What about you?" he asked after a long pause, "You're probably anxious about the future too."

I heard her sniffling. What on earth cause her to cry this time?! He only asked an innocent question! "Th-that's not completely true. I'm sure…I can be a good worker! It's – It's no good!" she hiccupped, "It's no good!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Y-you shouldn't confide this in me. You have to pretend you didn't see those anxieties in me…or I'll break down and s-start crying! So please!

But she's crying already…

"You're already crying." Kyo points out, "And I think we're all used to your crying by now."

"P-please don't worry!"

"No…I'm concerned." He said even though he didn't sound all that concern.

"y-you should talk to your master! I'm sure he'll understand1 he's waiting for you to confide him!" how'd she know that? "If you stay quite and stifle your feelings the pressure will just get worse and worse and worse and worse!" I heard something small clattering but I'm not sure what.

"Stop! You'll break it!" he laughed, "Okay! Okay, I get it! I understand. Sheesh…why are you such a cry baby?"

Just then I heard the sound of a door open abruptly with a force, "Perhaps I can offer some advice?" That cherry voice belonged only to Shigure.

"Shigure, you were awake?" Tohru asked, having controlled her sniffling.

"I just woke up." He replied flippantly, "Aw, don't cry Tohru." He cooed before addressing Kyo, "Goodness, Kyo, what did you do to her?"

"Grrr!"

"By the way, Zakura." Shigure called me, making me flinch from the other side of the door. 'How does he know I'm here?' "Would you like to join us? I'm sure you'd want to hear this as well."

Meekly I opened the door and slowly, out of embarrassment, crawled inside and sat in between Tohru and Kyo.

"How long have you been sitting out there?" Kyo asked.

I crossed my arms on the table and laid my head on my arms. "Don't ask."

"Now, girls, when you get anxiety about the future, it's best not to think about it. Oh yeah, that's great advice. "For example: let's say that Tohru is surrounded by a mountain of laundry piled so high around her feet that she can't move. Now let's assume that she doesn't have a washing machine, so she has to wash everything by hand. She would be at a loss for what to do, right? She'd worry if she could ever wash everything; if she could ever get it all clean, is she could ever have time for anything but laundry ever again. The more you think about it, the more anxious you get, right? But time keeps passing and the laundry doesn't wash itself. So what should she do?"

I tilted my head in thought, "Start with the load in front of her?"

"Close." He smiled, "But it might be a good idea to start with the laundry at her feet. You see, it's also important to think about what you can do now, what you can do today. And if you keep washing, things will get done one thing at a time and you'll be done before you know it because fortune is looking down on you." He looked at us with such a fatherly expression that it almost made us tear up, "Sometimes the anxiety will well up but when it does take a little break. Read a book, watch TV, or eat ramen noodles with everyone."

I think I understand but what does the laundry have to do with anything?

"I'm shocked!" He gasped as if he heard a scandal, "What a brilliant analogy! I should treat myself to some ramen! And I would like some tea as well!"

"You just wanted to eat, didn't you?!" Kyo snapped.

_Even if you can't see the future ahead of you, worrying about now won't do anything but make me sick with worry. I should take my worries one step at a time and not put things off for tomorrow when they can be done today…_

* * *

><p>"While you don't have to become an 'Adult'…"<p>

Summer Vacation…

"…but try to become someone who takes responsibility for your own actions and words." The teacher droned on, having all the students on the edge of their seats, ready to jump at a moments notice, "Believe it or not that's actually harder."

Summer vacation…42 days of no school…no homework…no teachers…

"As your teacher I don't have to tell you to not be reckless while on break."

Summer vacation…endless days of fun in the sun…

4

"So in conclusion...the sermon from your teacher…'

3

2

"…is over!"

1

Ding~ Dong~ Ding~ Dong~!

"FREEDOM!"

"SUMMER BREAK IS HERE!"

"Enjoy summer to the fullest and don't forget to do your homework." The teacher collected her things and proceeded to walk out the door before the other students' crowd the halls.

"Summer time!" I screamed with the other students, throwing my hands in the air and scattered my useless papers and pencils, "Let the fun times begin!"

Uo toppled her desk in excitement, "Yeah! I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna eat, sleep, and work!"

"Holidays are wonderful, aren't' they?" Tohru said, being the only calm one in the room.

Uo threw her arms up, "The way I'm feeling right now, I can tip a car!"

"Uo! You'd get arrested!" Tohru said with worry knowing that Uo would actually tip a car.

"Arisa…" Hana approached us already donned in beach gear, "why don't you cool down a little?"

"Seeing you I can't help but cool down." Uo said looking at Hana's Popsicle, fish net, beach hat, beach ball and floaty. "Ready for summer too?"

"Of course…"

A boy with black hair popped his head in through the door, "Hey! They posted make up exams in the hall!"

Hana gave a small smirk, "Ah, I have no use for such things. I haven't gotten a single red mark."

Those who knew her promptly freaked out.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"That's right…after last time…it was very hard…"

"BECAUSE OF THAT?!"

I perked an eyebrow, "Wait, you failed on purpose because of Tohru last time and you got perfect scores on the make-up without really trying."

"That's right." Tohru agreed, "If you tried like you did this time."

Hana looked away, "Well I thought that myself but I…"

Silence

"…I just didn't have the will to do it."

…what?

* * *

><p>Tohru and I met Yuki and Kyo on the side of the school after saying good-bye to a few classmates before getting ready to walk home to start summer vacation. Everyone's buzzing with excitement to get their summer started and Tohru was no different.<p>

"The beginning of summer is happy fun times!"

"We should look for an outdoor pool to go swimming or go to local towns and shop!" I said bouncing on my heels.

Kyo stretched his arms above his head, "You two are simple."

"Who wants to be simple like you?" Yuki asked softly looking to the sky.

"What?!" Kyo glared at him, "Just what part of me is stupid?!"

Seriously? It's the beginning of summer break and they want to fight?!

"…you've never thought of yourself simple? I'm amazed," Yuki said sarcastically before looking at Tohru, "Ah, Miss Honda, Shigure said he'll be out today."

"Don't ignore me!" Kyo snapped raising his fist, "What're you doing running away from a fight you started, you damn rat!"

"Haven't you figured out that constantly taking on fights is in itself stupid, stupid cat?"

"Hey!" Kyo growled stepping closer to Yuki and I had stepped between and separated them.

"What should we have for dinner?" Tohru asked, trying to defuse the argument.

"Ginger fried pork." An apathetic voice came from behind us. We all turned around to see Hatsuharu standing under the school sprinklers. Now that's the best way to stay cool. "I want ginger fried pork."

"Noted." I said, "Uh, why are you under the sprinklers?"

"It's cool." He states looking up at the sky when the sprinkler sprayed the other way. Kyo walked over to Haru and placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's cool, huh? To me you look creepy."

Without him noticing him Momiji popped up from behind Haru and squirted Kyo in the face with a duck shaped squirt gun. "Getting splashed by cold water on a hot summer day like this is the best!"

Naturally Kyo grabbed Momiji and grounded his fist in his blond head, "You damn hyper rabbit!"

"Whaa! Someone!"

"Kyo-" I began to scold but thankfully the sprinkler came back on them and all three of them were soaked.

"Soaking wet!" Momiji cheered, "Soaking wet!"

"No more mercy for you!" He grabbed Momiji again.

* * *

><p>"To start off the summer holidays we're going to do something fun together!" Momiji cheered holding Tohru's hand as he guided through town and to a department store.<p>

"What's this place?" I asked having not seen it before.

"It's a secret until we get inside." Momiji chirped pulling Tohru and I into the store with the boys following close behind. "This way! This way!"

"I just want to go home." Kyo moaned with boredom.

"You don't have enough spirit." Haru states combing his hair.

Kyo snorted, "Like you're one to talk."

"Where are we going?" I asked looking down aisle upon aisle of trinkets, knickknacks, house hold things, and every day use. "What kind of store is this?"

"One of the kids in my class told me about this really neat place here!"

"Ooh a neat place?" Tohru repeated interested, "It sounds like fun!"

We walked down a flight of stairs that led to another part of the store and I was floored by how dark it got so quickly.

"Here we are!" Momiji chimed waving his arms to the horror house. "It looks really fun!"

For someone who's all sunshine and rainbows and flowers I never pegged Momiji to like horror. Someone like Hana and Hatsuharu maybe but not Momiji. "Let's go!"

Kyo grabbed hold of him before he could run inside, "Hold it, brat."

"Let's ask everyone's opinion before we go in." Yuki said patiently, mostly speaking for Tohru who had gone pale and quiet.

"Completely speechless." Haru stated looking at Tohru.

"Then it's a no go." Kyo said ready to turn around and head home.

"N-no!" Tohru trembled, "If you ask me whether I can handle them or not it ma be that I'm absolutely no good with them! But as they said you have to face your fears head on or you'll never get over them!"

I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her trembling, "You don't have to face your fears if you're afraid of them. No one's going to force you to go in."

Momiji turned baby face, "Is it no good, Tohru?"

"Let's go." Kyo griped ready to go but everyone was already at the register. I grabbed his hand to pull him along.

"The sooner we go through this the sooner we go home. So suck it up like a man and let's go."

* * *

><p>"GRahhhh!" A dead decayed woman with a bloody knife in her mouth pops out of the darkness promptly scaring Tohru out of her wits.<p>

EEEKKKK!"

"Ahhhh!" Another dead person pops out scaring her again.

"You sure can scream over fake things." Kyo commented dryly. Tohru was the only one being scared while Momiji was laughing and the others weren't all that effected.

"I'm more worried about those laughing the entire time." Yuki said looking at Momiji and Haru.

I held Tohru's hand and guided her around the broken paper sliding door and quickly join Momiji and Haru who were up ahead, "They're not real, Tohru, they're manikins." I consoled her, "If it helps try to think of something happy."

Her grip tightened as she tried to hold in a jump when she heard another scary sound. "Eek! P-perhaps the answer is laughter!" She held her bag to her chest in a vice grip as we got closer to Momiji and Haru. "I'll laugh it away just like Momiji!" However her plan flopped when we were bombarded with holo-projections of ghosts. What amazing graphics! The technology we have these days.

"I'm scared!" She finally confessed while panting for dear life. I guess all that screaming really took it out of her.

I crouched down next her and placed my hand on her back, "Ready to leave now?"

She rapidly shook her head, "No! No! No! I can't give up after coming this far!" We've only been here five minutes and been in two rooms. "M-maybe if I walk with my eyes closed I won't see all the scary things!" She assured while getting up.

"Uh, Tohru," I called out to her trying to stop her, "You're plan is flawed!"

Should we all really be surprised that she walked into a wall? She does that regularly with her eyes open. "Tohru!"

"OOOOO!"

"EEEk! What was that?!" She stumbled back into another prop.

"Screeech!"

"What's there?!" She stumbled into another one.

I sighed tiredly, slumping over with Yuki and Kyo, "We should stop her before she kills herself."

Kyo and Yuki nodded before both of them approached her and held out there hands, "Give me your hand." They said in perfect unison.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…?"

"What are you doing?" Kyo growled, "Don't copy me."

Yuki glowered, "Who would copy you, idiot? You're stupidity might be rubbing off on me."

Alright while they settled that I walked over to Momiji and nudged him in the shoulder, "Momiji, Tohru's scared."

"Oh?" He tilted his head cutely before prancing off towards Tohru and grabbed her hand, "Hold my hand, Tohru!" He said sweetly before turning to Yuki and Kyo in mock scolding, "You shouldn't let your fighting get in the way of helping a girl in need."

"Shaddup!" Kyo yelled, probably in embarrassment because it's true, "Who asked you?!"

When they joined us Haru took notice of Tohru's haggard appearance, "Are you okay? You look worn out."

Tohru wobbled, "Yes…just barely."

"If you're scared why not just create your own setting?" Was that Haru's way of not being scared in here?

"BOO!"

"EEK!"

"For example…" Haru began to explain as if that manikin didn't pop out at all, "…that person. He looks scary but he's actually a fine upstanding young man who likes animals and cooking." He stood next to the bloody manikin with arrows in its back while we stood in front of him like children at story time, "On Sundays he even volunteers for community service. Growing up he was the guy that all the girls wanted to marry. But he has only one law- he is easily moved to tears."

"Wow really? We asked completely entranced.

Haru closed his eyes, "But even such a man can have a most grievous past. When he was ten years old he was separated from his mother.

"Really?!"

"No!"

"How terrible!"

"It was pouring rain the night it happened." Haru continued, "She pulled a sweater over him, one she had knit for him herself. Her gentle hands…gentle voice…the tears welled up in her eyes…that was the last image he has of his mother. The next morning, she was gone. All that was left were his drunkard father, a huge debt, and the sweater. But he remembered his other's tears from that night and never held it against her. And silently he worked for his father to repay the debt…all the while clutching the sweater fragant with his mother's love…dreaming of the say when he would be reunited with her."

"That's beautiful…" I mumbled wiping a tear with the hanky Momiji passed me and he passed one to Tohru as well and one for him.

"And that day has finally come. "He said causing us to perk up immediately, "She's here today to see her long lost son."

"Really! Where?!" We asked with excitement.

"What are you guys doing?" Yuki and Kyo asked, finally catching up with us. How they have missed such a beautiful true story?

Haru continued on as if he wasn't interrupted, "His mother had her reasons for leaving their home but now she has come to tell him she regrets her actions. Let's have the mother explain the rest." We all waited with baited breath for the mother that would soon appear. Surely enough a woman's head popped out of a dirty well a few feet way from us. Haru calmly walked over to the head, grabbed it and yanked it out of the well. He brought the head over to the manikin and brought them face to face, "An emotional reunion."

"DON'T BREAK THINGS!" Kyo shouted, grabbing Haru by the collar, "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THNKING?! HOW THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO EXPLAIN THIS?!"

"And they lived happily ever after." Haru concluded his story.

Momiji smiled at Tohru and I, "What a nice story."

Tohru nodded in agreement, "Yes, very touching."

"A wonderful reunion." I smiled.

* * *

><p>"My, my…this isn't good." The owner sighed. After we left the haunted house we were grabbed by security and brought here for damaging the props. "We'll have to call your parents to reimburse us." He shook his head, "Really…young kids these days."<p>

"Wait!" Momiji cried waving his hands, "We'll pay you back but please don't separate those two!"

Tohru held her hands to her chest putting on her best innocent face, "Please! Keep the two of them together!"

Kyo crossed his arms, "Don't tell me you guys believe Haru's stupid story!"

To our surprise the owner actually had tears in his eyes, "I've never heard such a wonderful story."

Seeing an opportunity I went over to the owner and nudged him in the ribs lightly, "You know you might make a little more money if you include the story in the haunted house. People like a good tragic backstory to go with the dead people."

The owner clenched his fist, "It's a deal!"

* * *

><p>Hours later we finally returned home after that adventure. Tohru and I made dinner for everyone and for the rest of the evening we winded down and freely talked about what plans everyone had for summer vacation.<p>

"Ginger pork, yay." Haru blandly cheered when I brought the food to the table. He and Momiji immediately dug in having worked up a big appetite in the haunted house.

"So Miss Honda did you get over your fear?" Yuki asked pleasantly.

Tohru nodded happily as she brought the rice out from the kitchen, "Yes. The story was very moving." She held her hands in front of her heart, "I'm very grateful that I went. For some reason this is the most excited I've ever been for summer break to start! I've just got a hunch that something special is going to happen."

"Me too!" Momiji exclaimed, "I'm so excited!"

I nodded in agreement while swiping some ginger pork from Haru's plate. He didn't seem to mind, "Good times are sure to come."

"Let's go to the beach and set off fireworks and smash some watermelons!" Let it to Momiji to plan the trip. If it's anything like the hot spring trip then I'm all for it!

"Yes!" And since Tohru agrees the others will come naturally.

"Yuki and everyone can come! It'll be a summer time extravaganza!"

I smirked when I saw them slouch over. "Better start packing boys!"

Summer break…sunshine and fun…a time to relax and enjoy yourself and others…but why do I have a small feeling deep in my chest that…something might go wrong? That something might heavily cloud our supposed summer time extravaganza? I hope I'm just imagining it…

* * *

><p>"Haruko?" Kisa mumbled walking into the bland hospital room holding a bouquet of flowers, Azalea.<p>

Looking out the window sat a young girl with shoulder length brown hair dressed in a plain dark blue shirt and jeans. "Are you ready to go now? Hatori's waiting outside…"

Haruko nodded slowly, not to agitate her neck pain. "Kisa…"

Kisa walked over to Haruko and held the flowers out to her, "From Hatsuharu. He's worried about you." She said after Haruko gently took the flowers from her hands.

She studied the flowers and a sad smile slowly came to her face, "Azalea…they mean 'Take care of yourself for me.' That's so like him."

Kisa stared at her with sad eyes, "Haruko…why is Akito being mean to you? Why does he keep hurting you?"

"Because he's lonely…" Haruko looked out the window again, "He doesn't know how to do anything but hurt other people." She plucked a flower fro the bouquet, "…but that won't go on forever…I will find a way to stop him from hurting others…I will find a way to end this horrible curse."

"But Haruko…"

"There is a way to end the curse, Kisa." Haruko insisted, "I know just who to talk to. I won't give up. I won't ever give up."

I have a feeling in my chest… a feeling that I can't put into words…something in the atmosphere is shifting…something is going to change…


	24. Summer Vacation part1

Long time no see everyone! Hope every one is well and enjoying life as we know it. Sorry I've been neglecting! Long hours at work and had the graveyard shifts and I've been fonding over a new game I got, but I've got this out! So...I wonder…does this count as a season 2 that I'm breaching on here? Or an arc? …..Let's call it season arc 2! Let's give it up for volume 10! Whoop! Whoop! Double digits!

Just so you all know I deleted this several times. I had other filler ideas, but after a while I was forcing myself to type and decided, 'Forget it! Let's just move on!' For those who are curious about the scrapped ideas. Hatori and Hanabi go on a small date in between the chapter where Kyo took Tohru to see Kazuma and no Zakura didn't go.

No she wasn't jealous because it seems like Kyo and Tohru didn't get much mentioned bonding time in the story. Things that happened in the manga still took place, however! Yes even that scene in the kitchen! No competition between Machi, Tohru, and Yuki. I like Machi but she came too late in the story to have a relationship with Yuki just off the bat. I know you can measure love by how long you've known a person, but I don't think you can just jump in the boat like that.

A brief intro of Hatsuharu's girlfriend, but scrapped it and possibly will post it later anyway.

I was going to do a chapter of Zakura sick and have her act strange and clingy when she's sick, but then I thought she's kinda like that already. The only funny thing that would've been funny is that she purposely makes Kyo transform with her hugs because she likes to cuddle when she's sick and complains she doesn't hug Kyo or a cat enough. By the middle of the chapter Kyo made himself scarce until the others got home from school. Again decided to scrap it.

Let's see…uh… there was more but I forgot! Oh, a new minor character might make an appearance towards the end of the story if I can remember to include him! Like seriously minor…only about 40 secs of screen time.

**(c) Natsuki Takaya **

**Block B : Very Good (Yeah! Block B is back! Love you Zico! My man! )**

* * *

><p><em>I was so happy when you smiled<em>

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_

* * *

><p>"Look at that ocean!" I gasped with excitement, standing next to Tohru in her once piece suit.<p>

She had her arms out wide with a huge smile on her face, "Yes! It's so big and blue!"

It was finally summer! We're finally going to enjoy the warm sun, cool water, and the lovely vacation!

The boys, Kyo, Yuki, and Haru, walked behind us setting down our beach equipment. Being strong gentlemen they carried everything while Momiji, Tohru, and I carried our towels, inner tubes, and cover ups.

"Let's go in!" Momiji cheers grabbing Tohru's hand and gently pulled her towards the water.

"Yes!" Tohru agreed eagerly. I was a little worried about Tohru going in the ocean. She's a fine swimmer in the pool but with the lapping of waves I'm worried she'd be literally carried away. Turning to watch the boys unload the beach stuff I was sure that if anything went wrong these life guards would help out. I helped Yuki spread out the blanket before Kyo placed the cooler on top of it. Reaching behind the cooler I grabbed and opened up the giant umbrella and placed it over the blanket and comfortable sat under it next to Yuki who placed rocks on the corners of the blanket to keep it flat.

"They're so cheerful." Yuki mused, watching the two from a distance.

Haru turned to us sitting on the blanket, the three of us still half dressed, "Not going in, Kyo?" He asked, pulling down his shades a bit. Haru, Momiji, and Tohru were basically the only one showing off their swimsuits.

"No way." Kyo hadn't bothered to get dressed for the beach, Yuki wore one of his button-up shirts opened but he still wore trunks so maybe he planned on going in later. I, on the other hand, had a two piece on. Ayame and Shigure slipped traded out my one-piece for the swim-suit Ayame designed. Summer fantasy is his new line up. By the time I unpacked my things and found the two-piece I went to Kyo's room and swiped one of his many hoodies. He didn't completely mind me taking his favorite blue one.

"Look!" Momiji shouted pointing over everyone's heads, "You can see the house from here!"

Tohru turned around and smiled, "You're right!"

I could tell she was happy to be out here. We've haven't been to the ocean since we were kids. Like mother like daughter, Tohru loved the ocean just as much as her mother did. I on the other hand never went more than knee deep in the ocean…I saw those documentaries with sharks and Orcas…

"So Shigure didn't make it after all?" Haru asked us keeping his eyes on Momiji and Tohru, "I thought for sure he would come."

Yuki sighed a bit, "He said he'll join us once he's gotten enough work out the way." We all remembered Shigure telling them not to get into trouble while he's not there.

"Well…" Haru sighed and proceeded to stretch his arms, "At least we get to see Tohru and Zakura in all their swim-suit glory."

Kyo and Yuki jumped up, "Don't talk about them like that!"

Kyo grabbed Haru into a headlock and they mini wrestle while Yuki watch me subconsciously zip Kyo's hoodie to cover my exposed chest and tuck my bare legs in.

"It's just the natural reaction of any normal young man." Haru tried to reason.

"You're hardly a normal!" Kyo grunted, letting Haru go when we heard Momiji shout at us to look at Tohru swimming really fast. It was actually pretty amazing…

Kyo let out a heavy sigh as he willingly walked into the water. Being the cat he tried to avoid water as much as possible.

"…?"

Haru pulled his shades down slightly, "She's a better swimmer than I thought…" He pulled his shades off completely, "…but it looks like she's not breathing."

"Eh?!" Yuki and I shouted. True enough Tohru was leaning against the rocks in the ocean breathing very heavily. Kyo was sitting on top of the rocks talking to her. We couldn't hear from far away bit whatever he said almost had Tohru ready to swim away…if that's what she calls it. Kyo slid into the water with Momiji's innertube in hand and slipped it over Tohru, dragging her backwards towards Momiji telling him to teach her how to swim properly. Tohru let out a happy laugh as she was being dragged through the currents and in retaliation he smacked the tube, making her go in a mini spin cycle. Momiji found that fun as well and demanded a turn.

Sitting in between Yuki and Haru I found myself a little envious.

"So Kyo went in the water after all." Haru commented.

When Yuki didn't say anything we looked at him. He appeared to be lost in thought…whatever thoughts those were didn't have him looking too good. Haru reached over me to put the back of his hand on Yuki's forehead, "You don't look so good. Is the heat getting to you?" Yuki still didn't reply, "Or is it your feelings making you dizzy?"

From the water Tohru called for Yuki to come into the water as well.

"I'm fine." Yuki said to Haru as he stood up and slowly took off his shirt. (Yes, by now I'm somewhat used to seeing these good looking boys half naked.) "I just got distracted. It's a bad habit." He looked out towards the ocean at Tohru, "I shouldn't cause Miss. Tohru to worry unnecessarily."

As Yuki made his way into the water Kyo had already made his way out looking a little unhappy.

"Huh? Getting out already?" Haru asked.

Kyo takes the towel that I handed to him, "I didn't want to go in the first place!"

Without another word Haru grabbed Kyo by the arm and dragged him back in the water, "I challenge you to a contest."

I let out a loud laugh at Kyo's face. The one he should've had when he first went into the water. "No! Stop it!" He fought Haru with everything he had to get out of the water, much like a cat, "Let go you idiot! You trying to kill me?!"

I let out a breathy chuckle watching everyone having fun in the water. _'Yeah…this is wonderful.'_ I leaned on the back of my hands happily.

"Yuki. Zakura." Haru called still pulling on Kyo, "Want to compete with us? If one of you joins Kyo will get into it."

"Like hell I will!" Kyo protested practically pawing at the water, "I'm not that simple!"

Well there was no way in hell I was going in the water anyway…I've seen those documentaries on sharks and Orcas…

"Maybe I will join…"

Kyo immediate took off his jacket with fire burning in his eyes, "I'm going to kick your ass!"

Haru gave Yuki a thumbs up or his effort, "See? Wha'd I tell ya?"

Tohru pleaded them not to strain themselves while Momiji giggled wondering why they can't swim like normal people. Haru asked me to sit on the rocks a few ways out from them to be the referee as well as the finish line. Waving my hand I quickly and carefully made my way to the rocks, keeping a few inches away from the lapping waves. Again…seen the documentaries – not going to chance it.

"Ok!" I yelled holding my hands in the air as a signal, "On your mark! Get set! Swim!"

What a great way to kick off the summer…

* * *

><p>-0-0- later that night -0-0-<p>

It was a great day at the beach and an even race it was very unfortunate that Yuki came down with a fever after the race. Apparently the sun was too much for him.

"Yuki…" Tohru whimpered at Yuki's bed- er couch side with Momiji next to her.

"I guess the sun was too much for him." Haru said sitting at the foot of the couch by Yuki's feet swinging a water bottle between his legs by his fingers, "Maybe he should carry around a parasol."

"I will not." Yuki refused strongly from under the cool clothe on his face, "Miss. Tohru please don't worry."

"It's amazing that you still came in first place despite of your fever." I smiled playing with the drawstring on Kyo's blue jacket. What? He didn't ask for it back yet.

"And the shock caused Kyo to go to bed early." Haru agreed.

Momiji looked at Haru, "Maybe he just over-exerted himself too."

We all shrugged it off. Haru turned to Yuki and asked him if it was ok for him to take a shower. Yuki replied to why was he asking him and Haru replied that he didn't want Yuki to get lonely. I held in a laugh when Yuki demanded him to leave. When Haru left Yuki touched the cloth on his head and turned to us and apologized for worrying everyone and tried to assure us that his fever will go down soon.

Momiji smiled, "That's ok! Tomorrow we're going on the Forest Expedition!"

I looked at him confused since this was the first I've heard of it. No doubt he made it up on the spot, "What are going to do?"

"We're going to put sugar was on the trees and catch stag beetles! They say that kunugi trees are good for that!"

"And who told you that?" I asked. 'And do we even have kunugi trees?'

Momiji smiled confidently, "Kyo told me!"

Tohru put a finger to her lip in deep thought, "I see, kunugi…I wonder what kind of tree it is…"

Now we all paused in thought. All trees look the same so how are we going to distinguish one tree from hundreds?

Momiji perked up again, "Oh! I know! I know! I bet it's a tree with acorns!"

"Isn't that an oak tree?"

Tohru nodded in agreement, "I see! A tree with acorns…I've never seen acorns in a tree before…"

"Really?" Momiji asked in shock before he paused in thought, "Come to think of it…neither have I."

"I've never really notice them until they're on the ground." Tohru continued.

"Yeah, on the ground." Momiji echoed.

Yuki and I shook our heads lightly at them. Only they could talk about something like this. I stood up from the armchair next to the couch, "I'll go see if I can find a book about it, ok?" Momiji stood up after me volunteering to help me and encouraging Tohru to take of Yuki until we get back. Though I have no doubt that Tohru will let anything bad happen to Yuki. That girl loves him too much. Not to let the ugly green monster in my heart show, but sometimes…I get envious of them. I'm not a hundred percent sure of how far Tohru and Yuki's relationship is based on them going to his 'secret base' more and more often and the occasional sweet tender looks they give each other but I'm a but mad that I can't have what they have. Hell, my mom can get a guy on her arm with a snap of her manicured fingers and Tohru can warm hearts with her warm smiles and motherly advice…what the hell do I have to give to get the guy I like to even look at me like Yuki looks at Tohru? Maybe I should ask Haru how his girlfriend won him over…him and Kyo are about the same…maybe I can get some hints.

"Zakura?" I looked down at Momiji who was looking at me in concern, "Are you ok? You're being really quite."

I shook my head and continued to look through the pile of books on the small shelf in distraction, "I'm ok. Just a little tired I guess…" _'Tired of being lonely…'_

"If you're tired you should go to sleep." Momiji said with concern, "It was a bit hot today…"

Smiling a bit I rubbed his head, "Don't worry about me." I pulled a book of the shelf and looked at the title. It was a guide book about the forest life around here, "This looks like it'll help." I handed to him, "Go show it to Tohru, ok? I'm going to go to bed."

Momiji nodded and trotted back to the living room while I walked back to the room Tohru and would be sharing. Passing Kyo's room on the way I took off his hoodie and laid it out in front of the door. What? I'm not risking my life if he gets grumpy at me for bothering him after telling us to leave him alone.

"Going to bed?" I heard Haru ask me standing in the hallway.

I nodded somberly, "Yeah, just a bit tired."

"Waiting for someone to notice your love for them does that." He said looking at Kyo's door, "…which is why you should come out and say something. You know how thick headed he is."

I looked at his door as well, "I'm worried that he won't return my affections." I admitted to him, "You gotta admit that he looks like that kind of guy who doesn't want to deal with girl affections."

"So you're just going to avoid the problem and watch from afar?" Haru asked sarcastically, "All the while complaining on the inside? Huh, didn't know that you were that kind of girl. You came off as the kind to take what she wants no matter what."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Well, sorry if I'm a bit clueless when it comes to this sort of thing. I just don't want to waste his time – I mean he hasn't shown me any interest."

"So show him you're interested." He insisted, "Trust me…" Even in the dark I could tell his fists were shaking, "If you don't say or do something you'll regret it for the rest your life. You'll regret it and wish you could turn back time to fix the mistake you've made…it's better to have them know than to not have them know at all." Then without another word he went to the boys' room and closed the door behind him.

"…."

I would probably have to apologize later…I may be hit a sore subject with him. I continued on to my room and got under the cover in my bed. Should I tell him my feelings? Should I tell him how happy he makes me by being near me? How much he makes me laugh when he gets angry at little things? How my heart flutters when he touches me when he shows me the correct stance? Should I tell him how I could stare into his beautiful ruby red eyes and never grow tired of looking at them? Should I tell him that life without him now will be like going to sleep and never having sweet dreams? I don't care how hard it is being together…nothing is worse than being apart.

* * *

><p>That next morning…we had a wonderful heart-felt surprise that rivaled seeing the Sohma beach for the first time.<p>

"Kisa!" Tohru and I screamed happily rushing down the steps to hug our sweet little sister. Her beautiful brown eyes sparkled so brightly when she saw us and rushed to hug us as well.

"Seriously?" Oh and Hiro is here too. But we ignored him to cuddle with Kisa.

"Rejected again, huh?" Haru jibbed at Hiro.

Momiji laughed, "Rejected! Rejected!"

Hiro rounded on them, "Shut up! I'm tired from riding in the car all day! Just show me to my room!"

I happily rubbed my cheek against Kisa's soft hair, "All the boy rooms are on the other side of the house." I told him, "Kisa will be rooming with Tohru and me."

Hiro frowned.

Momiji trotted next to Hiro, "Come on, Hiro, you can room with one of us."

This time Hiro narrowed his eyes at Momiji annoyed, "Will you stop making these stupid decisions on your own? There's no way I'm sharing a room with anyone." Funny that's exactly how Kyo sounded on that Hot Spring trip.

"Ah…" Haru paused from taking a sip fro his water bottle, "You won't share a room…unless it's with Kisa." Hiro flushed immediately, "How precious." Haru joked with a straight face and all.

"Shut up!" Hiro yelled, making Kisa jump in our arms, "I never said that! Why do I have to share anyway? You think just because you're all older than me you can stick me in whatever room you want?!"

"Um…" Tohru spoke up trying to defuse his anger, "In that case-"

I cut her off, "Don't baby him-"

"You stay quiet, stupid woman!" Hiro snapped at her.

I promptly smacked him on the back of the head with my hand, "Bad sheep!"

"Ow!" He held his head where I smacked him, "That hurt you bossy witch!"

Kisa flinched, "H-hiro…"

As if summoned Yuki appeared from who knows where and greeted Kisa and Hiro pleasantly. He must've had a good sleep or haven't seen Kyo this morning to be this pleasant in the morning. "Ah, you two are here early."

Haru suddenly stood up, "I see…" He went over to Yuki and placed his arm loosely around him, "In that case Yuki and I will share a room."

I giggled at Yuki's face, "Ooh, scandal!"

"Wha?" Yuki asked confused.

"One problem solved."

"Solved!" Momiji cheered.

Yuki looked backed and forth between all of us, "Wait. What's going on?"

Momiji pumped his fist in the air, "Okay!" He cheered, "The rooms have been decided! Tohru, show Kisa to her room, okay?"

Tohru nodded happily, "Understood!" She grabbed Kisa's hand, "This way Kisa."

I reached down and grabbed Kisa's bag before Kisa could. I tapped her on the nose and told her to let her big sister take care of it. While walking to our room Tohru took it upon herself to give Kisa a mini tour as we passed a few rooms, though I'm sure Kisa knows where everything is I think Tohru is using this as a sort of distraction. Her smiles are starting to seem false. I think that she's thinking about something.

"Um…" Kisa mumbled when we came to the room we would all be sharing for the rest of the trip, "I'm sorry about Hiro."

I placed her bag in the bed and turned to her with a small smile, "Don't apologize for that little prick." I sat on the fluffy bed and rested on the back of my hands, "He has a hard time expressing his words more kindly than others."

"…" I looked at Tohru staring out the window looking despondent, "…a hard time expressing his words…"

"Um…" Kisa mumbled drawing our attention again. She pointed to a picture on the night stand. A picture of Kyoko. "Is that your mother?" She asked Tohru.

Tohru smiled and nodded, "Yes! That's mom!" She looked at the picture fondly, "We're always together!"

Kisa looked at me shyly, "Where's your mother, big sis?"

I had to put on a tight smile for her, "Probably somewhere in America now." It was most likely true if she married that guy. I haven't seen or spoken to her since orientation last year. Strangely enough I don't feel so bad about it…Hanabi is motherly enough for me to not notice that my real mother is continents away from me. "Don't worry." I soothed her when she looked at me with concern, "I just have one of those mothers, you know?"

Seeing that now both of them are depressed now I couldn't help feeling depressed. It seems that instead of all of us having fun on vacation we're all reflecting on things we probably shouldn't be. First Yuki, me, then Tohru and now Kisa is unhappy because of Hiro's spoiled brat attitude. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath and stood up from the bed, putting on a happy face, "Come on you two! Momiji has something fun planned this morning!"

Tohru paused before perking up a bit, "Ah! That's right!" She clapped her hands, "The Forest Expedition!" She looked down at Kisa, "Won't that be fun?"

Kisa's smile didn't quite reach her eyes but it would have to do as she nodded hesitantly. If this expedition doesn't perk everyone up I don't know what will.

* * *

><p>Thankfully Momiji was understanding of the rather tense atmosphere and tried to help me put some smiles on some faces, "This way! This way!" Momiji waved down a set path beckoning everyone to follow him quickly.<p>

"What are we even doing in this forest?" Hiro grouched as usual in the back of the line behind Kisa and Tohru who were holding hands.

"We're making preparations to catch stag beetles!"

"If you want stag beetles so much why not just buy some?"

Momiji ignored him and pointed to a tree a few feet from us. Just as I originally thought before it looked like any other tree…only more twisted looking. Large branches bent and curved differently than others.

"I don't see any stag beetles." Kisa said as we circled around the tree to inspect it closer.

Momiji winked and held up one finger, "If we leave a special something on this tree, the stag beetles will come to lick it up!" He pointed his finger to the sky, "And that special something is-!"

"Sugar water!" Tohru chirped holding up the expedition kit. She unzipped one of the pockets and pulled out a clear jar filled with the sugar water she prepped earlier this morning. Unbeknownst to her that her wallet slipped out. I watched Hiro pick it up while the others were immersed in Momiji's babble about coming back here tomorrow morning to check if any beetles come to this tree. Hiro better not keep the wallet like last time.

"I'll go see if I can find any more trees!" Momiji exclaimed skipping away.

I whipped my head around. The last thing we need is to separate from each other. "Hold on Momiji!" I turned to Tohru, "Watch them okay?" She nodded. I looked over her head and narrowed my eyes sternly at Hiro. He held my gaze for a moment before sighing and holding the wallet out to Tohru. Nodding to myself I ran after Momiji. If Hiro knows what's good for him he won't say anything that will upset Kisa and Tohru because he'll have to deal with me. We're supposed to have fun on vacation.

"Zakura! I found another tree!" Momiji cheered pointing to another twisted tree.

I nodded my head slowly, "Yes, that's great Momiji but you can't just wander off like that." I scolded him. "We have to stay together, okay?"

He nodded like he understood but I could see that he was more engrossed with the tree and the possibility of catching beetles. _'Stay together…we have to stay together…if this heavy feeling I have deep in my heart is truly a premonition that something life changing is to happen…then we must stay together…'_

"Zakura!" Tohru's voice pulled my out of my deep thoughts. I could tell by the fake chipper look on her face that Hiro had said something stupid again…Kisa running behind her with misty eyes was all the conformation I needed. I decided that we should cut the expedition short and returned to the villa. Later that night after giving Hiro a scolding he probably didn't need he went to his room at the same time Kisa did. The two of them not talking had everyone concerned. Haru told us that our interference won't be necessary and that we should leave them alone. Tohru went to bed without a word as well keeping her wallet close to her chest in a grip so tight that it seemed like she was scared that someone was going to rip it away from her.

I could help but think troublingly, _'What's going on with you Tohru?'_

* * *

><p>The next morning thankfully was a little more eventful. Kisa and Hiro made up…although hitting Kisa accidently in the face with the door was unnecessary. Tohru was still putting on her fake happy mask but she wasn't coming to me for comfort. I guess she wanted to solve her problems on her own…<p>

Good news for Momiji though, there were plenty of stag beetles that made him happy for the rest of the morning. After that mini event he had dragged Haru, Yuki, and Kyo later that morning for his next 'big summer surprise' event. I wonder if that little rabbit had a check list of what to do this summer at the villa on him somewhere or if he's making this entire thing up as the days go on.

"What?!" Hiro yelled into his phone, "Wait, you mean…" We pause our mini game of tossing the beach ball, "Really?! It's not one of your misunderstandings is it?!" We looked at each other confused, "Ah…alright. I get it! Try not to fall down." Once he hung up we confronted him about his phone conversation. Turns out his mom found out that she's pregnant. How about that? The little snot is going to be a big brother!

"How wonderful." Shigure sighed blissfully while fanning himself.

"When the hell did you get here?" I asked bewildered. He has a creepy knack of turning up quietly and unexpectedly.

He chortled, "Oh only for a little while."

"Grandpa…aren't you going to swim?" Kisa asked him curiously seeing him wearing his everyday kimono.

Shigure smiled nonetheless, "Grandpa is not very fond of swimming."

"Then what are you doing?" Hiro asked, "Sunbathing?"

Shigure smiled innocently, probably about to say something that Tohru and Kisa's innocent minds won't understand, "I'm admiring swimsuits."

Hiro grabbed Kisa's wrist and promptly pulled her far away from Shigure as possible. I pushed Tohru behind me to cut off his view. Although I had a swimsuit on I am safely covered up with Kyo's blue hoodie and my shorts. "Back away pervert."

"It was a joke!" Shigure insisted to Hiro before muttering, "Middle school kids don't do it for me anyway." He looked at Tohru and me, "Where are the others?" I was going to say right behind him but he kept on digging a grave for himself, "Alone are we? Such a rare opportunity! Let's go on a date!" I merely pointed behind him and he immediately got the hint, "Oh, come now. It's not like I meant anything by it." He said turning his head slightly to talk to Yuki and Kyo who were glaring murderously at him, "I'm just asking for old time's sake. An old man like me doesn't get many opportunities to ask."

"Better stop before Kyo smashes that watermelon over your head." I advised him

* * *

><p>"EEEHHH?!" Momiji gasped loudly with surprise when Tohru told everyone that Hiro's mom is expecting. "Hiro's mama is having a baby?!"<p>

Yuki chuckled, "He'll be an older brother? That doesn't quite fit."

I swung that small watermelon around my legs as I walked beside Kyo who carried his on his shoulder, "I bet someone thought that when Ayame became your older brother."

Yuki paled slightly at the thought of his older brother, "You don't have to remind me."

"I wonder if it's a boy or a girl?" Tohru asks.

Momiji couldn't stop smiling, "Either one would be wonderful!" His smile dimmed a bit, "But if it's a girl, it would be sad that he can't hug her tight. But since it won't be possessed by a vengeful spirit it won't make his mama sad!"

"Huh?"

"He means that all the members of the Zodiac have been born." Haru explained monotone, "As long as we're all alive, there won't be another."

I looked down at the trail we're walking on, "That's kind of bitter sweet isn't it?" Because these wonderful boys are alive and possessed by a vengeful spirit any child born in their family won't be possessed. They will immediately be accepted into society…they will be able to hug the ones they love…to be with those they love without restraint.

"Maybe so." Yuki agreed quietly, "But it's nice for people to give birth because they want children."

When the villa came into view we walked into the back yard and set the watermelons on a white tarp. Ok…what are we supposed to do with five watermelons?

"When it comes to watermelons there has to be a watermelon smashing tournament!" Momiji cheered jumping up and down.

"Eeehhh?!" Hiro, Yuki, and Kyo voiced.

"To celebrate Hiro's mama having a baby!" Momiji elaborated.

It didn't seem like everyone was on board with the idea. The boys immediately started complaining. If anything at least Momiji was trying to make this summer fun. Kyo sighed saying it was a waste of time and watermelon. Yuki's wondering where the sticks and blindfolds are. Hiro voicing that he's not happy celebrating because that's not making the situation better.

**SMASH!**

Haru ended all arguments and smashed the watermelon himself with his fist.

"…"

"…"

Haru picked up a small piece and ate it without a care, "Go for it Hiro. It'd make a good story to tell your sibling."

"Don't smash it with your bare hand and then eat it!" Yuki scolded when Momiji grabbed a piece as well.

Shrugging my shoulders in the what-the-hell way I rolled a watermelon onto the sheet before I started flexing and stretching my arms.

"Uh…Miss Zakura?"

Kyo held his hand up to me, "What are you doing?"

Tohru looked at me with astonishment, "Eh?! Zakura you can smash a watermelon with your hand as well?!"

"Well to be honest I don't know." I answered her. But if I can punch Kyo in the arm hard enough to leave a small bruise during training, how hard can it be to break a watermelon with my hand? "There's no harm in trying right? It's almost like when we were kids."

She smiled brightly at the memory, "Oh! Yes! During the summer with mo-" She stuttered to a stop with a look of panic on her face, "…with mo-mountain police officer!" She forced out with a nervous laugh leaving me blatantly confused. We smashed watermelons with her mom…not a mountain police officer. I think she's been out in the sun too long.

"Was the mountain police officer nice?" Momiji asked while I took my turn smashing the watermelon with my hand. Unfortunately I wasn't as strong as Haru to break it into pieces, but I did crack it pretty well!

"Looks like you need more training." Kyo joked kneeling next to me to inspect my cracked watermelon.

I tried not to blush at his sudden closeness. Taking a breath to calm my heart I spoke with confidence, "Oh and you can do better?" I asked knowing damn well that he can.

"Better than you." He retorted before smashing my watermelon clean through without much effort just like Haru had. After he shook the watermelon juices off his hand he handed me a piece. Taking it with gentle hands I thanked him and offered my congratulations to Hiro.

Tohru took her turn next trying to take my and Haru's example by using our hands…but that didn't go so well. The melon did her more damage than she did to it. When even Kisa tried to make an attempt we decided to actually play by the rules.

* * *

><p>"You know when I was a kid I was always scared to eat a watermelon seed." Haru told us as Yuki and I cleaned up the mess from the watermelons, "I was scared that a watermelon would grow in my stomach."<p>

I laughed lightly at that, "That's understandable. I'm sure a lot of kids had that fear at one point in their life." I know I did.

"Where did everyone go?" Haru asked me as he handed me the stained sheet to wash later.

Yuki looked through the window that led to the large living room, "They're inside with Miss Honda…" His face fell a bit with he noticed someone else walk into the room.

Haru and I looked as well and watched Kyo watch Tohru throw a large sheet over the sleeping kids. "Kyo…"

Yuki closed his eyes and turned away, "I'm going for a walk."

"Yuki." Haru looked after Yuki, "It's a test."

I perked my eyebrow at him. _'A test? What did that mean?'_

Haru looked at me as well, "It's a test for you too."

"Eh?" Was all I could say when he patted me on the shoulder and walked away.

-0-0-

_'A test? A test of feelings?'_ I wondered as I sat quietly near the hall near the living room. _'A test for me to realize my feelings and how to handle them? But why is it a test for Yuki? He doesn't have to worry…'_

"Hiro really did say something to you, didn't he?" I heard Kyo ask Tohru.

"Eh?"

I heard him let out a tired sigh, "It bothers me if you don't speak your mind. Back then, you were going to say something, weren't you?"

"Um…" Tohru mumbled and was quite for a long time, "I…I thought I might hurt you…that it would be insensitive of me to ask…"

"What? Hurt?" He questions clearly confused, "Tell me what you mean." He demanded.

"Ah!" She let out startled.

"Out with it!" Kyo insisted.

"Y-yes! Ky-Kyo!" She said more assertively, "May I ask…about your parents? Zakura never mention anyone other than your master…"

"Zakura didn't tell you?" He asked confused which confused me! Of course I didn't tell! He never told me anything! "Well…Zakura's story is almost the same as mine." He said simply. I don't believe it…all I had to do was ask Kyo and he would've spilt his guts about his parents? Tohru is too good sometimes. "My dad and I cut off ties years ago. We hardly talk and my mother…"

"…"

"…"

"…She was killed in an accident." Killed? "It happened a long time ago. When I was four or five." His mother was killed in an accident…just like Kyoko? "Ahhh…now I get it. Yeah. Yeah. I think I understand now. It's stupid."

"Eh?"

"What are you worrying for?" He asked her. "Your mother and our parents have nothing to do with each other. You worrying about that stuff makes me more pissed off."

"Eh?! Ah!"

So that was it! I smacked my head for my own foolishness. Hiro must've told Tohru that she talks about her mother a lot and carries her picture around even though Kyoko is dead. Tohru must've thought she was being insensitive for always mentioning her mother and everything she did when she was alive and failed to know if mention her mother all the time ever made anyone uncomfortable. 'That dummy. Worrying me like that.'

"So you smashed watermelons with your mom and Zakura, huh?"

Tohru let out a small giggle, "Y-yes…we were small…in front of our apartment…just the three of us. I…I kept missing. Zakura accidently hit a man in the leg. Mom broke a flower pot. O-of course Zakura apologized to the man she hit and Mom paid for the flower pot but the manager told us to stop so we moved the game inside. But mom broke the shrine for father…in the end we all broke the watermelon together and ate it."

Kyo let out a low chuckle, "Was it fun?"

Even from here I could see her beaming. "Yes! It was very fun!"

I felt a sharp pain in my heart. Kyo manage to get her to smile for real again. Tohru even made Kyo look more relaxed by simply touching his knee. 'What the hell?' I touched my shirt over my heart. My heart was beating so fast it nearly hurt.

"Zakura?" I let out a startled gasp, hearing Shigure behind me. "What are you doing out here in the hall?"

I stood up abruptly, "N-nothing! What are you doing here?"

He continued on walking into the living room, "I've come to get Momiji, Kisa, and Hiro." Dutifully Tohru went to gently rouse the others while I followed him into the living room. "Apparently Akito has made an appearance here." He informed everyone when they came into the room.

"Akito?"

Momiji rubbed his eyes of sleep, "Is he staying here?" He meant in the villa we're staying in.

"Of course not." Shigure chortled, "He's staying in the guest house. Still, we have to go and say hello."

"Should we change clothes?" Hiro asks.

Shigure shook his head, "No. You're fine like that."

Tohru looked around, "Where's Yuki?"

Haru made his appearance from outside. He didn't look too happy either. Akito sure knows how to bring down someone's mood. "He's still out on his walk."

"I suppose he'll have to go later." Shigure sighed.

"Hey." Kyo glowered at Shigure, "He's not making Tohru and Zakura go is he?"

"Nope. Today is just relatives. Besides he's already met Tohru. He would like to meet Zakura one day."

I looked away as I thought of that night when I did meet him. I didn't tell anyone that I met Akito the night Kyo transformed, but I wonder why didn't Akito tell anyone…or Hatori for that matter?

"You three take care of things while we're gone." Shigure told us much like he does when we're at home, "I don't think we'll be out too late." And with that everyone went on their way to meet Akito.

Tohru looked a bit put out by that and casted Kyo a small look of pity. He immediately told her not to worry- that the cat is never invited to anything. "I bet he came here just to throw cold water on everything." Kyo scowls, his eyes turning slits, "He's always been like that. He enjoys ruining everyone's happiness."

Isn't that the truth? Just saying his name puts a heavy weight on everyone. I sure hope they'll be okay though. We came on vacation to have a good time and relax…so far that hasn't been happening…

"ROAR!"

"Whoa!"

"What the hell?!"

"I can't be depressed, right?!" Tohru exclaimed getting in our faces, her face red and flowerily, "I have to be cheerful and lively, right?!"

Kyo met her cheerfulness with a deadpanned face, "I don't know but calm down."

Tohru made her way into the kitchen with more spirit in her step, "I know! I should make something special for when they return!"

I shook my head at her, "I can't believe I was worried about her these last two days."

He looked at him resting his elbow on his knee and his chin on his palm, "Now that she's feeling better. What about you?"

"Huh?"

"You've been acting weird too."

I closed my eyes and looked away knowing that if I stare at him too long I just might tell him things he doesn't need to know, "Nothing I've just got a lot on my mind is all."

He made a snorting sound, "Right…"

"…"

"…Why haven't you gone in the water yet?" He asks out of no where.

"What do you mean? Yes I have."

"Only up to your knees." He retorted, "What? Can't swim?"

"It's not that…" I lied, fiddling with my fingers behind me back, "I just don't trust what's in the water is all."

"W-what?" I could tell he was holding back a laugh.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "I can give you at least 5 deadly things that could kill you in the ocean."

He lay back in the chair amused, "Alright, tell me."

I ticked each deadly marine creature I saw on the ocean documentary, "The box jellyfish- one sting can kill you. Stonefish – getting pierced by it will cause excruciating pain and cause flesh around the wound to die and could result in amputation if not treated right away and a large dose of venom without treatment could lead to death. A sea snake can also kill if you're injected with enough venom. The tiger shark – nuff said. And finally the killer whale and I'm not about to mention what those things do to seals!" I crossed my arms with a huff, "I refuse to go in the water with those deadly creatures of the deep!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You can't swim."

"grk! Did you not hear my explanation?!" I shouted in his face.

"I heard your excuses." Kyo replied pushing my face away with the palm of his hand, "Just admit that you can't swim then I'll teach you."

"Er…" I battled internally with myself, _'If I admit that I can't swim then he'll have something over me and tease me about it, but that also means he'll teach me how to swim and that means some quality time with him. If I don't admit it he'll nag me but won't force me that means that I won't have to go in the dangerous water but that also mean I won't get swim time with Kyo. Admit that I can't swim and face quality time with Kyo and possible death or deny and live another day?'_

Before I could answer him Tohru came back with food. She set it on the table and said that Yuki has been gone a long time and she's going to go out and look for him. Our words fell on deaf ears with her when she tried to stop her so Kyo and I ate dinner in somewhat silence. I could tell he was waiting on me to admit that I can't swim I can see it by the look he kept giving every few bites between his meal.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Alright!" I screamed unable to take the pressure anymore, "I can't swim! Ok! I admit it!" I held my face in hands, "I'm a big wimp! A coward! A cry-baby quitter! Just make the silence stop!"

"Pft!" Kyo snorted hiding his laughing behind fake coughs, "That didn't take long for you to admit. For a second I thought I was going to have to resort to other methods to get you to talk."

I couldn't help what other methods he would've used. Seriously I gotta stop reading Shigure's books.

He stood up from table, "Well since you confessed…how about we start tomorrow?"

"Huh?"

He walked across the room, "Get ready to learn how to swim tomorrow." He said simply before leaving the room. I had a moment to think to myself before he poked his orange head back in, "By the way stop taking my jackets."

* * *

><p><strong>Again very sorry it took so long to get this out. Hope some of you hung in there with me. I can't help not updating sometimes. Time flies when you're not updating. It's like boom get the chapter out...read other people fics...review their stories...search for more...mentally yell at them to update again not realizing that days weeks and months had passed since your very own last update! (That's basically my life schedule half the time right here). Oh well. Merry x-mas and happy new years everyone! I'm off to play more new games that I got this year.<strong>


	25. Vacation part 2

Thank you very much for everyone who has reviewed and favorite and alerted and given me all of your love! Many reviews have made me laugh and smile! Feel proud of yourselves as fellow readers. And I won't forget those who haven't reviewed and choose to remain anonymous. You're not anonymous! I know you're there! Also thanks to those in far away countries! See you all later! Don't review! Your silence is rewarding enough!

**(c) Natsuki Takaya**

_I was so happy when you smiled_

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_

* * *

><p>Next morning...<p>

"Will you come on already?!" Kyo snapped at me.

When Kyo said morning he really meant it. Before anyone was awake he dragged me out of bed (Literally by my feet) and forced me to get dressed and ready for the beach. Are you all aware how much Kyo turns into a drill sergeant when he sets his mind to teaching me something? It's not as great as it sounds. He's pushy, impatient, crabby, and never uses his inside voice.

"Don't rush me!" I snapped back slowly stripping down to my swimsuit hoping to delay the inevitable. Tossing my shorts and jacket aside I stood on the beach with the waves teasing at my toes, beckoning me in…more likely to drag me to my early death.

"Look," Kyo said his hands on his hip barely above the water, "I don't like being out in the water any more than you." He wadded in so he was in arms reach of me, "But if you do this quick you'll never have to do it again."

"Promise?" I asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, we'll do something else on the beach instead."

"Alright." I whispered taking a deep breath to gather some courage and slowly made my way into the water.

"You're doing good." He assured me when I came up to my knees.

And that was when my legs locked in place. I couldn't move anymore. "Kyo…I can't…my legs won't move anymore."

"That's because you've never gone deeper than that. Your body won't let you." He theorized wadded closer to me and gently grabbed my hand, "That's okay. We'll take it a step at a time, okay?"

I nodded and allowed him to slowly guide me further into the water until we were up to our waists. A big accomplishment for me.

"See?" He smirked, "You're okay."

I let out a shaky breathe, "Y-yeah. I'm okay…and this isn't so bad…" That is until I felt something slimy brush and wrap around my leg. "It's a sea snake!" I screamed leaping into Kyo's arms wrapping my arms tightly around his neck.

"W-wait! Don't!"

**Poof!**

**Splash!**

"How can you transform at a time like this?!" I screamed at him the second I resurfaced from the water.

"How can you forget I transform when girls hug me at a time like this?!" He retorted splashing around trying to stay afloat worse than me. "Quick! Grab my shorts and get us back to shore!"

I splashed around grabbing him and his floating shorts, "The snake is still on my leg!"

"Get us out us out quick!"

I walked/swam through the waves as fast as I could to get away from the danger and the second the water came to my ankles I toss Kyo aside and flopped over on my butt. I shook my leg vigorously with my eyes closed so I didn't have to see the snake, "Get off! Get off! Get off! Get off!"

"Zakura! Open your eyes!"

"No!" I shook my leg harder, "I don't want to see the snake!"

I felt a hand grab my ankle, "Seriously. Open your eyes."

I did so and saw a very peeved Kyo staring at me dripping wet. Holding my leg down he took the snake off my leg…however…it…wasn't a snake…in fact it was…

"You made that big fuss over a piece of seaweed." He scowled at me.

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, "Uh…I'm sorry?"

He tossed it aside, "Whatever. Ready to try again?"

"Do we have to?" I complained.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me up and tugged me towards the water, "Stop complaining. If you can get up to your waist in water and master floating then we can stop."

If there's one thing about Kyo he's determined, so there's absolutely no way I was going to get out of this. Holding his hand the entire he pulled me through the water until we were up to our waists again.

"Okay, ready?" He asked facing me keeping a reasonable distant from me so I don't make him transform again. "I'm going to help you float on your back." He placed his hand on my back and gently tilted me back until I was lying fully back. "Alright, relax." He whispers moving one hand in between my shoulder blades and the other to the back of my thighs. It was kinda hard to relax with his hands so close to my… "Relax will ya?"

"A-alright…" I tried to relax but with the skin on skin contact between us it was kinda hard.

"Will you stop jumping around? You're going to sink!"

"Well stop touching me in inappropriate places!"

"I'm not!" His face flustered, "I'm just trying to make sure you don't sink! Now relax!"

My face burned, "I can't with your hand so close to my-"

"If you can float by yourself for twenty seconds then we'll be done for the day." He interrupted.

"Fine." I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe trying to forget the warmth of Kyo's hands on me. Slowly he moved his hands and before I knew it I was floating on my back on my own.

"10 seconds…"

Besides from the seaweed incident it has been pretty fun playing in the water with Kyo. Maybe I can get him to make a sandcastle or hunt seashells with me after this.

"Alright we're done."

"Oh thank goddess." I cheered rushing as fast as I could back to land. No more water for me! Land good water bad!

"Don't you mean 'god'?" He asked joining me on the beach.

"You worship your thing and I'll worship mine." I retorted wringing my hair out of water before re-braiding it, "So what do you want to do now?"

Kyo shrugged, "We could always enjoy the quite before the brats get here."

"True." I muttered shifting my toes in the sand digging up a broken seashell, "Do you…wannna walk along the shore?" I asked blushing, thinking of all the romance movies that involve a couple walking along the beach at sunset and share a passionate kiss in front of the setting sun.

"I dunno-"

"Zakura!" Before either of us knew it Momiji glomped me and swiftly transformed before Kyo could stop him.

"Momiji!" We scolded the yellow rabbit in my arms.

"This is where you disappeared to!" Tohru chirped walking towards us holding Kisa's hand. Hiro, Yuki, and Haru not too far behind them, "I was worried when I didn't see you this morning."

"I went to the beach to think for a while and Kyo found me." I lied. There's no way I was going to tell them Kyo was teaching me how to swim.

"I see!" She smiled before holding up a small bucket and shovel, "Do you two want to make sandcastles with us? It'll be a lot of fun!"

Momiji hopped out of my arms the moment he transformed back and stood up proud with only yellow smoke covering his boy parts, "Yeah! We're going to make the biggest sandcastle that's going to shock and amaze everyone!" When the smoke started to clear I covered Kisa's eyes, "It's going to be so big that we'll be able to play princesses and dragons!"

Hiro perked an eyebrow, "Isn't it called knights and dragons?"

Momiji continued smiling as he jumped back into his shorts, "Kyo and Hiro are going to help too!"

"What?!"

"Don't go deciding things for other people!"

I looked away to see Yuki and Haru slowly making their way to us. By the somber looks on their face they're talking about something serious. I was concerned for Yuki with his past with Akito and all but he looked fine for now…if nothing else he looked lighter…a bit taller as if a burden has been lifted. Haru looked the same if not a bit troubled. I hope he's alright.

"Kyo." I watched Yuki approach Kyo and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and whispered something to him resulting in Kyo threatening to kill him.

Well seeing as they're back to normal, "I'm going to go take a walk."

Momiji pouted, "You're not going to make a sandcastle with us?" Behind him Kisa and Tohru were already in the process of building the sandcastle that looked more like a little sand hill.

I shook my head lightly, "I think all this sun is giving me a headache. I'll see you all back at the house, ok?"

"Do you want one of us to walk you?" Yuki asks concerned.

I shook my head, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

* * *

><p>The day after tomorrow will be our last day here sadly. It's a shame because I'm really going to miss this house by the beach and the fresh air. It seemed like this whole vacation went by too fast but it was fun spending time with everyone while it lasted. Once vacation is over we'll all be too busy to keep in touch with each other…plus it'll be our last year of high school soon. Then we really will have a hard time keeping in touch with each other because we'll soon be living our own lives...with or without the Sohmas.<p>

"Oh!" My head jerked up in time to see a young girl with short black hair duck behind the bushes, "Ow!" She cried out a second later bumping into a tree in attempt for a speedy escape.

"Uhh…" I approached her through the bushes slowly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She yelped rubbing her red forehead, "If I was going to be sneaky I should've done better than that."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her, "Sneaking? Why are you sneaking around in the first place?"

Her eyes bugged with fright and she frantically waved her hands, "I'm not a bad person! Honest! I'm family with the Sohmas! I actually know Hatsuharu!"

"Hatsuharu," I echoed, "Oh…are you…Hatsuharu's girlfriend?"

She blinked owlishly, "Yes…but how do you know that?" She started hyperventilating, "Did he tell you that? What did he say about me? Was it bad? Did he sound angry at me?" Then she turned angry, "How dare he be angry at me! How dare he open his mouth about that!" She stood up, "That's it! I'm going to kill him!"

I grabbed her arm quickly before she got out of reach, "Hold on! He only confided in me because he was depressed. He didn't give away too many details."

She blinked for a few moments before calming down, "Sorry," She sighed, "I get so worked up about him sometimes. But as much as he annoys me I can't help but worry about him." She wrapped her arms around herself, "I heard Akito was here so I came here to check on Haru. Akito doesn't just up and go anywhere just because. Even when his body is weak he does things like this for some cryptic reason."

I nodded as I listened, "I had a feeling. Akito does seem to show up at the worse or better of times. Yuki and the others just got back from seeing him last night."

She nodded, "Yeah. Kureno told me. Akito seems to have some interest in you and Tohru."

"Kureno?"

"The Rooster."

"Ah." Another member of the Zodiac, "So, do you know why Akito is interested in us?"

She shook her head sadly, "Like Rin and I he sees you and Tohru as threats to the Sohma curse."

"Rin?"

"The Horse."

"Oh." Another member! "Wait. A threat to the curse?"

She nodded somberly, "Don't let this give you too much hope…but…" She looked around to make sure that we were completely alone, "…there might be a way to break the Zodiac curse." She whispered to me.

My heart stalled for a few seconds. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. "What?"

"The proof isn't concrete but Rin has noticed some changes with the curse and I have as well." Her eyebrows furrowed, "I can't exactly explain it since I'm not cursed like the others but something has definitely changed and I'm certain that Shigure knows."

"Shigure?"

She scowled, "Don't let him fool you. Shigure is a manipulating little shit."

"Ouch." I winced.

"He's practically Akito's favorite toy other than Kureno and Yuki." She punched her open palm, "I want to kick his ass so bad!"

I sweatdropped, _'She's nothing how Haru described. I assumed she was a dainty flower kind of girl, like Tohru. But she's almost exactly like Haru!' _"There is a way to break the curse."

"Yes. Rin and I are looking into it at the main house. We're searching Sohma family records and everything."

"Please let me help." I grabbed her hands, pleading, "Please! I'm tired of watching these good people suffer! Please…"

She smiled gently if not relieved, "Rin and I need all the help we can get…I feel guilty letting an outsider get involved but-" She gasped and looked past my shoulder.

I turned around and saw Yuki staring at her in shock, "It's you!"

She covered her face with her arms, "You saw nothing!" She yelled whirling around to run…only to run straight into the same tree from before, "Ow! Damn Mother Nature everywhere!" She stumbled through the forest until she was out of sight.

We only shook our heads.

"I see you've met Lyn. Haru's ex-girlfriend." Yuki sighed.

"Will she be alright? Should we tell Haru she's here?"

Yuki shook his head, "She'll be fine. Leave Lyn to me." He slowly walked in the direction she went, "Don't tell anyone you've met her."

I nodded in understanding and watched him go.

* * *

><p>While making my way back to the house I saw Tohru running up to me with tears in her eyes. Great whose ass do I have to kick for making her cry again?<p>

"Zakura! It's wonderful!"

Ok, I retract my previous statement. "What's wonderful?"

"It's Kyo! Akito wants to see him!" She quickly hugged me, "Kyo's finally been invited."

I didn't return the hug. Akito wanted to see Kyo? That couldn't be a good thing. Didn't the God hate the Cat? The Cat has never been invited to anything…why now all of a sudden? "Did he already leave?"

She nodded as she pulled back enough to wipe her tears, "He left with the others. I know it's not a banquet but I'm so happy that he can join the others!" She smiled through her tears. I wish I could be as happy as her, but I didn't have a very good feeling about Kyo seeing Akito. But maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe Kyo will be okay. He's a tough guy…

"Zakura? What's wrong?" Tohru looked at me with concern, "Aren't you happy for him?"

I nodded hastily while putting on a force smile, "Yeah, of course." I place a hand on her shoulder, "What I'm not happy about is them leaving you alone."

"Eh? But I'm alright being at home by myself."

Wrapping my arm around her I guided her back to the house, "Tohru may I remind you of a few things that happen when you're home alone?

* * *

><p>(And now…are you ready for it?...cause I don't think you are…here it is…the chapter with Kyo and Akito…are you sure you're ready? Cause you can click the little x button in the top right corner at any time…I don't think you're ready…this is not for the weak of heart…you should just turn back now…you're not going to? Fine. I warned you. It's not my fault if you're scarred from Kyo's inner monologue! You have been warned several times! …..continue…)<p>

He felt sick the moment he stepped foot in the door way. Akito had that natural aura that made you feel worthless and inferior. He wanted nothing more than to leave and get back to the house.

"Welcome." His voice always made his skin crawl in the worse way. "It's been a while since we've spoken face to face." Pale thin hands beckoned him closer, "It's alright. Come in." Kyo slowly stepped into the room but still stayed close to the door, "My…my poor little monster." Akito's haori pooled at his arms over his white kimono at he sat by the window. Above him a lone round wind chime dinged in the gentle breeze, "So how's our bet going? The bet you made with me about whether or not you could beat Yuki." He clarified.

Kyo remained silent.

Akito smirked cruelly, "You can't can you? It's impossible isn't it?" He mocked, "You can't win can you? You just can't beat him. I told you, didn't I? From the beginning, the Cat was **made** such as that…it can **never** beat the rat."

Kyo's eyes narrowed and his jaw locked. Holding in the anger he so desperately wants to release.

"You will never in your life be able to beat Yuki. That's how you were **made** from the **beginning**. It's the course of destiny carved out by those possessed by vengeful sprits." Akito's eyes darken as he continued his verbal abuse, "**The fate set by your blood. **I've told you…that's just how it is."

Kyo's hands curled into tight fists. He remembered the talk they had before about that fate. He was the one who told Akito that he would change that fate. He was the one who swore that he would beat Yuki. Akito did agree – he even swore that if Kyo did beat Yuki by the time he graduates high school he'll stop calling Kyo a monster and he'll even let him become part of the family…however if he didn't win Akito would put him in confinement sooner.

Akito played with the talisman on the wind chime, "Looks to me that I'll be winning that bet."

"You don't know that!" Kyo yelled, "That's not for you to decide! There's still time!"

Akito snatched the wind chime off its string and held it in the palm of his hand, "You would tell me…that which I don't know." He threw the wind chime at Kyo's face, hitting him in the cheek, "Why do you continue to misunderstand? You need to remember that you're a monster…and because you're a monster…your mother died." Akito stalked closer to him making Kyo back away.

"That-"

"That's why."

Kyo shook his head strongly, "That's not my fault!"

"It is your fault she's dead." Akito said grabbing Kyo's beaded wrist.

Fearing that Akito will pull it off like he did when they were kids Kyo tried to pull his wrist away, "Stop it! Don't touch me!"

"Don't give me orders." Akito said not letting go, "Your poor mother. Even though she gave birth to a monster in human skin, she raised it and protected it but it was still too much for her. The monster killed her. And now that monster, her son, won't even mourn her death." Kyo looked way pained, "**You should've been the one to die**. **Things would've been a lot better if you hadn't been born.**"

"STOP IT!" Kyo begged as painful memories resurfaced. Painful memories of his mother dead in her own blood…memories of his father pinning the blame of the death of his wife on him. It was all too much, "Please…" Kyo begged. He didn't want to be reminded, "Please…just stop…"

Akito releases Kyo's wrist. Looking at Kyo's defeated form he felt that he hadn't pushed Kyo enough. He wanted to really see him writhe in pain. He wants him to be in the deepest pit of despair with no hope of crawling out of it. "You know I think your false confidence comes from those two girls." He saw something pass through Kyo's eyes, "I've heard they saw your true form…and one of them even fought you in that form…" He chuckled hollowly, "…how funny."

Kyo grew pale. He thought no one knew about that night. "How'd you…"

Akito continued, "I talked with that girl with the long braid…Zakura was it? She's not an angel like that Tohru girl who accepted you right away…she's a monster too…running away when you needed her." Then Akito's eyes narrowed, "She couldn't stand the sight of you and still had the nerve to return to you and 'accept' you? I don't believe it. Am I really supposed to believe that these two girls are really that good natured? It's rather frightening how good they are. They're freaks. Just like you."

Kyo looked up astonished that Akito would say things like that about them when he doesn't even know them. "How can you say that about them?"

Akito turned to him daring him to continue.

"You weren't there!" Kyo continued, his heart pounding in his chest, "You don't know! You don't know how scared they really were!" Kyo's eyes turned watery as he recalled that night. '_He doesn't know…how pale Tohru was when she first found me with Yuki…he doesn't know how terrified she was trying to convince him to come back home!'_

Akito covered his ears, irritate by Kyo's yelling, "Shut up."

"Zakura did run away but she came back to me! Despite being scared she came back!" Kyo shouted. _'Her reaction was human! I understood why she ran away! Any sane person would've! It showed that she really looked at me! And she came back!'_ Kyo never felt such relief when he saw Zakura's haggard form running through the trees screaming and cursing at him and he never felt such happiness when she grabbed and held him begging him to return home. What he wanted most was for her to ask him to return home because if she hadn't he was sure he wouldn't have returned even if Tohru had asked him. Zakura might not have taken all of the pain away but she did just enough to make it bearable. She not afraid to be by his side…to laugh with him…to fight with him…to solve his problems…she's just there. That's all he ever wanted.

_'But why?'_ Kyo couldn't help but wonder. He puts his hands over his eyes, _'Why does she want to be around someone like me? What do I have to offer her? I have nothing to offer her. I don't deserve her kind words, her gentle loving glances when I talk to her, or her warm touch. And yet I cling to her warm light. I don't want to let her go.'_ Realization dawn him as he pull his hands away from his eyes, tears sitting in his palms, _'I love her. I love her so much!'_ He almost laughed at himself for not noticing it, _'When did it happen? Was it always there? When did I start loving you so much?'_

"Are you crying?" Akito asked feigning shock, "Are you mortified? Could it be that you 'love' her? You and Zakura." He snorted, "The daughter of a whore falling in love with a monster." He snickers.

Kyo felt a heavy weight set in his heart at Akito's insult to Zakura. He can call him a monster all he wants but no one insults Zakura, "…!" His eyes narrowed at Akito with hate and anger.

Akito caught sight of it and back hands him, "Don't look at me like that!"

Kyo whips his head back, not bothered by the sting in his cheek. After all, he's had his face beaten in plenty of times by Yuki, "If you hate them then why let them stay?! You could've said no! What are you-" Kyo stopped when he saw the calculating look in Akito's eyes. It's no secret that Akito's a selfish manipulating bastard. Is he trying to use them for something? But what? What is he – "…scheming?"

"You always make me out to be the bad guy!" Akito shouts, "Do you actually love that woman?! You're even more foolish than I thought! You despicable monster!" He points at Kyo in accusation, "You killed your own mother and now you think you have the right to fall in love?! I won't allow it!"

_I won't allow it._

Those words echoed harshly through his mind. Does he have the right? All the crap he's done in life…all the good thing he's trampled on…does he have the right to love someone like Zakura?

Seeing that he had Kyo stalled he continued, "Know that if you continue to love her…it will only end in misery. Either by my hand or yours." Kyo closed his eyes in defeat. "That's right." Akito smiled cruelly, "It's really for the best. You really can't beat Yuki anyway so naturally you'll be confined where you can't bother anyone with your existence." He felt even greater when Kyo kneeled in submission. Yes. This is what he wanted. He felt a lot better now that he has crushed Kyo's hopes. "Don't worry. When you're locked in that room I'll be sure to visit you so you won't feel lonely." Akito lied kneeling on the floor in front of Kyo, "You may despise me now, but I care for your well being, Kyo." He pulled Kyo in a hug that held no warmth. It made Kyo sick to his stomach to be this close to Akito like this, "I really do love you. So be a good boy during the short time you have left living on the outside."

* * *

><p><em>'Kyo is sure taking his time getting back.'<em> I tossed a shell into the lapping waves, _'The others have been back for a while so I wonder what's taking him so long.'_ I bent down to pick up another broken shell and tossed it. '_I hope nothing bad happened. We could use some cheering up in this place.'_ I picked up another shell and threw it harder than I did the first two, '_What am I getting so worked up about? I'm probably worrying over nothing! I have no reason to worry! It's not like Akito killed him and that would be the only reason why Kyo isn't back yet….is it?'_

"Zakura!" I knew that lovely voice anywhere!

Whirling around on my heel I smiled, "Kyo! You're not dead!"

"Why would I be?" He asked looking blatantly confused.

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, "Oh, no reason at all." I looked him over and immediately noticed that both his cheeks were red and purple, "What happened to your face?"

Kyo reached up to touch his right cheek, "Got into a bit of a fight with Akito."

My eyes widen a bit at that, "Huh, did you win?" Secretly I hoped he did.

Kyo snorted, but smiled nonetheless, "It was a tie." He shrugged his shoulders and looked out towards the ocean with, "He said I didn't have to see him anymore. Tohru freaked out when I told her, but I don't mind. I felt bad since she was happy for me to go but I don't mind not being invited." He turned towards me and I swore my heart skipped a few beats with the at ease look on Kyo's face! I've never seen him so relaxed and burden free since that time on the roof when we talked about his master. "I just don't care anymore." He said.

I could only stare. Where's my camera to capture this moment?!

He waved a hand in front of my face, "What's the matter with you? Been in the sun too long again?"

"Maybe." Because I must be hearing things if you're saying you don't care about not being invited to future banquets when that's all you ever wanted. 'I wonder what changed?' Nonetheless I smiled happily at him, "Welcome back, Kyo."

He smiled back at me, "Yeah. It's good to be back." He took my hand and led me back to the house, "…thanks for waiting for me."

Blushing I looked to the side, "I would wait forever…"

* * *

><p>When we returned to the house Kyo excused himself to the bathroom to put cold water on his cheek while Tohru and Kisa dragged me to the living room to show me what Momiji brought with him. Yuki, Haru, and Hiro were shifting through many colorful packets that were labeled 'fireworks'.<p>

"There's so many!"

"You bought all these, Yuki?" Haru asked.

"No." Yuki denied holding a packet of sparklers, "Momiji did. He said we should all set off fireworks tomorrow night since we're going home soon." All all grew quite. I'm pretty sure we don't want this vacation to end so soon. "Momiji feels that we should end our vacation with a good memory. We did leave you and Miss. Kojima alone for a while."

Tohru tears up a bit. Its adorable how emotional she gets sometimes. Wrapping my arm around her in comfort I spoke, "I think what Tohru's trying to convey is that we're very happy to have spent the summer with everyone and we're looking forward to the fireworks."

Everyone smiled.

Haru nodded, "We'll launch them with a big bang that rends the darkness."

I snorted, "Very poetic."

Yuki glowered at him, "We don't have fireworks that big, just so you know."

Suddenly Hiro stood up, "Ah! It's time for the Mogeta Anime Special!" He grabbed Kisa's hand, "Let's watch!"

Kisa nods, "Yes! Momiji wanted to watch too."

Hiro slouched. Obviously he wanted it to just be the two of them. I ushered them to go into the dining room to watch while I volunteered to go get him. I didn't really care for Mogeta…the show was just plain weird. Now if I were an adorable bunny with a short attention like Tohru where would I be? Maybe I should ask Kyo where Momiji could be.

Walking down the hall to the boys side of the house I heard Momiji and Kyo talking.

"I wondered why you would all leave Tohru and Zakura hanging and go see Akito…but if you chose them over Akito…he would get mad and it would put them in danger."

"…"

"…you were all protecting them…" Kyo whispered.

"When you say it like that…" Momiji started to say, "…you make it seem like we're doing something very good. But we're not. We…I was wrong from the beginning. Even though I left Tohru…I still want to make memories with her." I never heard Momiji so serious, "I can't help it. I like Tohru so much." I blinked rapidly, my mind jumping to conclusions, but then I realized that maybe he liked her as a sister figure.

"Well, squirt, I'm selfish too." Kyo snorted.

"Mm?"

"Nothing. Anyway weren't you fussing about some show you wanted to watch?"

Taking that as my cue I stepped from behind the wall, "Hey! You two!"

"Zakura!" Momiji chirped running to me, grabbing my arm, "Kyo was being mean to me! Help me!"

Laughing I waved my finger at Kyo, "Behave Kyo or I'll hug you!"

Kyo's face flushed, "Wha-! What are you trying to pull?"

* * *

><p>Later that night…around 2 in the morning…I couldn't sleep! I don't know why I couldn't sleep at all. Even stranger Momiji was still awake when I came into the living room with my sketch book. He was sorting through the fireworks to prepare for tomorrow – er today. With my sketch book on my lap I began sketching a few new cosplay designs for the summer. I could modify a few costumes to match the theme for summer.<p>

"All done!" Momiji chirped, patting the packets of sparklers.

Looking up from my sketch I smiled, "All set for tonight?" He nodded proudly. "Alright then scamp, you better get to bed so you won't be tired."

"Okay!" He merrily trotted a few paces down the hall and stopped to look out the sliding door that led to the front yard. "…"

"Momiji?" I called to him wondering why he stopped.

"Nothing." He sys softly before opening the door, "I think I left something outside. I'll be right back."

"Can't it wait till morning?" I asked him but he already stepped out and closed the door behind him. 'Why would he close it if he was coming back in? Ah well…' I went back to drawing a new summer line of cosplay. I'm pretty sure that despite it being vacation Ayame wouldn't exactly forgive me for slacking off on work. I should at least show that I was thinking about work while having fun in the sun.

"Because I feel sick!" I heard someone yell from outside.

Instantly dropping my sketch book I bolted to the door, concerned for Momiji. Whoever was out there – Momiji shouldn't be out there with them. Opening the door I rushed outside, "Momiji?!" I called out to him and let out a small shriek when I saw him doubled over holding his face with Akito standing over him. "You bastard!" I screamed pushing Akito away with all my might. "Get away from him!" I stood in front of Momiji blocking him from Akito with my body.

Akito glared at me, brushing off his black shirt from my touch, "How dare you…" He took a threatening step closer to me, but I tried to remain unafraid. The dead look in his eyes…it showed me that he wasn't afraid to hurt me. I've never fought another person besides Kyo in training, but I'm prepared to fight Akito to keep him from harming Momiji again. "You're such a brute…an ugly, violent, ill-mannered, mouthy girl." He took another step closer rising his arms up and I brought my arms up too, to block him if necessary. "Listen…" Then he moved quicker than I anticipated when he lunged at me. I had managed to grab his left wrist but his right broke through my guard and he gripped me hard my my roots, "…you conceited whore." I grabbed the wrist holding my hair to prevent him from pulling, "Don't get so arrogant that you think you'll be able to save the Sohmas. There's no way to break the curse." He gave me a sharp tug as a warning but I dug my nails into his left wrist as a warning too. "Yuki…Kyo… and the others are mine to toy. I am their God." He spat at me, "Continue to mess with me and I'll be sure to make your life just as meaningless as theirs. Kyo will be confined once he's out of High school. He'll be locked up until the day he dies and Yuki will return to the main house with me and the others. They'll live and die with me. Forever. An endless banquet…a happy future…forever unchanging…and I won't let you or Tohru Honda ruin it."

"How is that a happy future?" I asked him through tight teeth, "Locking people up…forcing people…making their lives miserable just so you can be happy- What kind of life is that?!"

"You say it like it's a bad thing." He retorted, "Say what you will but I am God. I am the master of their souls. The one who controls the Zodiac."

"Akito!" A deep voice calls from behind. A grown man with light brown hair approaches up. His face didn't give anything away…he doesn't even have a reaction to us being locked on each other like this. "I've been looking for you. It's time to return home."

Akito and I remained still, neither one of us released each other. I didn't want to give him the opportunity of a lucky hit if I let go first.

"You're right." Akito said, slowly releasing his grip on my hair, "I was just saying hello." As he released my hair completely I let go of both his wrists and took a step back away from him. Akito walked back to the light brown hair man, "Well, since I'm aware that you and Tohru Honda are interested in matching Sohma to their Zodiac animals let me introduce you to Kureno Sohma." Akito purred wrapping his arms around Kureno's neck, "He's the Rooster."

Never thought I'd see yaoi in real life like this…only the Sohma family I guess with all the incest. "Nice to meet you." I murmured to him.

"A pleasure." He replied back before wrapping his arm around Akito and guided him away into the darkness.

My nerves felt shot once they were out of sight. I stepped back until my back connected with the house and slouched against it with a sigh. _'This is too much b.s for one night. Wait.' _I paused when I realized that Momiji wasn't behind me anymore. I stood upright and started for the door but as soon as my hand reached out for it Hatori and Shigure popped up. "H-hey…"

Hatori reached for my head and run his fingers through my loose hair and rubbed along my scalp. I flinched when his fingers came in contact with a wound. "Seems he got you after all." He withdrew his fingers and little specks of blood were on them.

Touching where Akito's nails got me I pouted, "Yeah, well, I got him back so I guess it's even." I dropped my hand, "Where's Momiji?"

Shigure jerked his head towards the living room where Momiji was standing, "He came to us looking desperate and scared." He explained stepping aside so I can go in.

Nodding thanks to them I approached Momiji and bent slightly to his level, "Are you ok?"

Momiji looked at me with red rimmed eyes, tears ready to fall, "Za…" His voice caught in his throat. He turned his head away the second his tears spilled over. I've never seen Momiji so broken.

"It's okay my little bunny." Without another word I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close.

***Poof!***

_'I don't give a damn what Akito says or what anyone else tells me. I'll fight and protect these wonderful people from the pain of the curse. I will lift the burden off these delicate shoulders.'_ I felt Momiji nuzzle into my neck as I stroke his back, _'Akito can do and say what he wants to me…I refuse to stand by and watch these people suffer any longer.'_

-0-0-0- few hours later -0-00-

"Do we have to get up so early?" Hiro whined as we made our way to the beach.

Today…er this morning was our last day and instead of waiting until later tonight to do the fireworks we decided to do it early morning for the sake of the long drive back in the dark. Momiji and I haven't gone back to sleep after what happened…the others had wondered what happened to Momiji's cheek and we both made up such an exaggerated lie that even Hatsuharu was proud of.

"So we're going to start these things or what?" Kyo asked, dropping a small bucket of water down on the sand. We brought it just in case of a fire hazard.

Momiji raised his hand excitedly, "I wanna start!" He went to Yuki and took one of the firework packets from him, "I pick the Top Batter!" He tore open the packet and handed the firework to Hatsuharu to light since he's not old enough to play with a lighter.

Haru sets the snake like firework on the sand and lit them up…only to have them fizzle out the second they were lit.

"Are they…" Kisa mutters her face showing disappointment.

"…supposed to do that?" Tohru asks.

"I don't think so." I replied deadpanned, "Well that sucked."

I went over to Yuki and grabbed another packet from the bucket he carried. I wanted to play with the sprinklers. I grabbed two of them and held out the tips for Hatsuharu to light. Once they were lit and sparkling I backed away from the others and started doing a small modified version of glowsticking; waving and crossing the sparklers around and across my body, doing figure eights and circles.

By the time the sparklers burnt out the little ones, including Tohru, were clapping loudly. Each saying that that was amazing, they've never seen anything like that before, if I could teach them how to do that, where have I learned how to do that, and if I could do it again.

"You're coming with me to my next rave." Haru told me before holding up a packet to Yuki, "I wanna try these." The packet read Bottle Rockets.

"What kind are those?" Yuki asked taking the packet from Haru after he opened them, "Do they fly?" He wondered before reading the instructions, "Put it in a bottle, pointed away from you, and light the end of the fuse. Warning: Do not hold it in your hands or point it at people or buildings."

Unknown to him Haru did everything the warning said not to do. He pointed the rocket at Kyo and was ready to light the fuse.

"Don't point it at me!" Kyo yelled, grabbed the rocket before Haru had any chance of setting it off.

"It's alright. I'm sure you can dodge it, Kyo." Haru said, "I believe in you."

Kyo snapped the rocket in half, "Don't believe in me!"

I snorted. It would be funny watching Kyo dodge it, "Think of it as dodge-ball but with a rocket."

"That doesn't matter! Don't point them at people!"

"Uh, um…" Tohru looked unsure on whether or not to get involved. Thankfully Momiji resolved the little banter with…

"Fire crackers!"

"Not so loud!" Kyo tried to yell over the loud popping. Probably doing major damage on his sensitive kitty ears.

"Well they are fire works." Haru replied deadpanned.

Pretty soon we were setting them all off at one time, enjoying the explosions, the vibrant colors, and just enjoying the last precious moments we have until we have to go face reality again.

"Are you okay, Zakura?" Tohru asks me while sitting down next to me on the steps, "You seem a little down."

I smiled softly at her, "Just not looking forward to going back to school."

She nodded, "Right. It's our last year…everything's going to be harder."

Couldn't disagree with her there since it is true. Final year is all about growing up and figuring out where you're going to go in life. "It's going to suck that's for sure."

Yuki soon joined us sitting next to Tohru as he offered her a sparkler, "Enjoying the fireworks display, ladies?" We both nodded. "I have to say thank you to you girls. We've never gotten together like this before. Summer comes every year but you can never have the same summer twice." He gazes fondly at the others lining up the Bottle Rockets, "I'll never forget the wonderful time that I've spent here with everyone."

"We won't either." We said in unison.

"Are we ready for the finale?!" Momiji cheered sitting at Tohru's feet with his arms in the air.

"Yeah!" We all cheered, huddling as close as we could together while Hatsuharu set up the last of the rockets.

I saw Kyo standing off to the side and beckoned him to come sit next to me. He tried to play it off that he was fine where he was but with a little coaxing and teasing from Yuki and I he finally sat down with a huff.

"Alright. Here we go." Haru set off rockets one by one and we all cheered at the wonderful display. It was almost like being at an actual festival.

"Tamaya!" The little ones cheered as the colorful rockets soar through the sky and exploded with beauty.


	26. Today and Tomorrow

My computer has been giving me problems lately, so hopefully this will post alright today. It kept freezing and shutting down on me so it has been very frustrating writing this between the freeze patches this thing goes through. Hope some of you enjoy! Let's give it up for volume 12! Whoop-whoop!

**(c) Natsuki Takaya**

_I was so happy when you smiled_

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_

* * *

><p>"Sure is good to be back home." I said placing my bags by the door waiting for Shigure to unlock it I flexed my legs out to get rid of the stiffness that they received from being cramped in Hatori's car. "My legs fell asleep being cramped in there. That didn't happen before we wen to the summer house."<p>

Shigure chortled, "It must be because the boys grew a bit." He puts the key in the slot before turning to us, "In fact I'm sure all of you grew a bit."

We all looked at each other trying to see the changes he saw. I admit that Yuki and Kyo do look a bit…fuller. Kyo looks a little more muscular than before and hair grew a slight bit. Yuki doesn't look as elegantly lanky anymore either.

"I think you got shorter." Kyo told Tohru who looked a little startled by the news.

"D-do you think so?" She looked at me and went to stand in front of me, "W-well now that you mention it…Zakura…we're not the same size anymore." That was a little bit true, but we were only a few inches apart in height difference.

"Height isn't the only thing that has changed about the girls." Shigure joked opening the door.

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Was there a perverted comment in there?" I asked grabbing my bags and waited for the others to go in first so I could close the door.

"We're home!" Shigure sang, ignoring our questions. We crossed into the living fully prepared to relax a bit before going to our rooms to unpack our stuff but we were halted by an unsightly presence.

"Welcome home everyone!" Oh goddess, not Ayame. "I'm sure you're all very tired from your long journey." He makes a grand gesture for us to sit down amongst the mess and clutter he made in the living room, "Don't mind me. Please make yourselves at home and relax!"

"Oh my." Shigure smiled unsurely. Well at least he too was caught off guard about Ayame being here.

"Ayame!" Tohru greeted not at all bothered by the mess Ayame made. "It's been a while!"

I nudged a sake bottle away from my feet in disgust, "Don't you think you've made yourselves too much a home?"

"Well, well, Zakura and Tohru!" Ayame smiled devilishly, "Have the experiences of a single summer made you two blossom into adulthood?" He held a finger to me, "Zakura I think you did in more ways than one! You might even be ready to try one of 'X' fantasy series!"

I paled at the thought, "I'm pretty sure that's illegal for someone my age!"

He waved his hand, "Nonsense! You'll be the star of every teenage boy's fantasy!"

Yuki and Kyo soon caught onto the conversation and immediately jumped down Ayame's throat about harassment while Shigure tried to weasel more details out of him. Tohru slipped away into the hall asking to use the phone while I tried to clean up some of the mess in the living room. It's a shame that we're back home and we're already falling back into the routine of cleaning and yelling.

After making room at the table Shigure took a seat next to Ayame and asked him why didn't he turn up at the summer house. Ayame explained that he wanted to but with summer comes fantasies for men and women. Apparently he had to make 50 whole outfits. Speaking of I rummaged through my bag and handed Ayame my notebook of summer line ideas. He nodded several approvals as Yuki asks him if there was any reason to why Ayame was here in the first place when he had his own house. Pausing on one of my pages Ayame looked up at Yuki with gentle concern asking if Akito had turned up at the summer house and asked Yuki if he was alright. It was tiny moments like this that Ayame proved that he was capable of being a true older brother when the need arises…sometimes I wish he stayed that way.

"Since I was not there to comfort you in your time of need I vow that tonight I shall fall asleep while embracing my wounded brother to my bosom!"

Yuki paled at the thought. Looks like he's locking the door to his room again. "I refuse…"

"Then you must strike!" He declared, "Give into your wounded heart and strike with reckless abandonment-" Ayame quickly turned to Kyo, "At Kyo!"

"Not you?!"

At that moment Tohru wondered back into the room and Ayame placed a hand on her shoulder, startling the poor girl, "You leave me no other choice! With no other alternative I shall sleep while embracing Tohru!"

Rage set in the boys faces as they cracked their knuckles ready to knock Ayame out.

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Try it and I'll crush you."

Shigure and I let out a tired sigh as the squabbles continued on. Yep, it was good to be home.

* * *

><p>Why is it that when you come back to school from vacation you feel like you're starting the same year fresh when it's only the beginning of a new term? After growing a bit and not seeing everyone after a while I guess it just feels that way. Seems like it's been forever since we've seen Uo and Hana, we've embraced each other as if we haven't seen each other in years. We've summarized our summer to each other just as Uo caught sight of Kyo walking into class with his slightly adjusted uniform since he did do a bit of growing over the summer. Uo stomped over to Kyo and jabbed the side of her palm into his forehead with such a force that he tittered. Uo growled at him, "Damn it! You got bigger during break! That's just great! My goal is to crack six feet!" Uo had gotten a bit taller as well as slimmer during break.<p>

"You've grown plenty yourself, Arisa." Hana told her voicing my thoughts. Hana hasn't really changed all that much that I could see.

Kyo rubbed the red spot on his forehead where Uo hit him, "Looks like you weren't able to become more feminine over break. Might as well throw away your womanhood."

Uo snorted in agreement and crossed her arms, "Maybe I will!" She said with some venom, "It's not like it's doing me good anyway! I can't get one guy to pay attention to me!"

"Uo…?" Tohru whispers with concern. Never has Uo brought this to our attention.

Hana placed a hand on Tohru's shoulder, "Be sad for her…in the end Arisa was never able to reunite with the man she met at the convenience store." Uo met someone? "Look closely girls…you are looking at the back of a woman in love…" Looking at her back you can plainly see the sadness rolling off of her. When I stepped towards her to give her a comforting hug I saw that her face was actually contorted with rage and she was muttering something about ripping and kicking. Wisely I stepped away and accidently backed into someone. I mumbled an apology as I stepped towards Tohru which was getting difficult since everyone decided to come into the class room at one time.

"Hey, aren't you-?" The boy I bumped into reached out to grab me and I only had a few seconds to glance at his face. He didn't seem familiar to me or anything, but his very light blue hair was rather shocking. I don't know any one outside the Sohma family with outrageous hair color…so why was he looking at me like he knew me? I don't think we're in the same class together. (In japan students don't move to different classrooms upon lessons, it's the teachers that move between classes.)

"Uh-" Was my only audible reply until Tohru shouted/stammered to our friends that she really has something to do after school that didn't involve a date. I don't know why she's so flustered, everyone knows by now about her and Yuki. Kyo managed to get everyone to leave her alone just as Tohru shuffled over to me and timidly asks me if I could take her to see Kazuma when Kyo and I go to practice. Unfortunately I had to skip practice and go to work but I'm sure Kyo could walk her there.

* * *

><p>Thankfully it wasn't a full day back to school but it was still exhausting for teachers to give homework and projects and having them remind us to turn in our papers of what we want to do with our lives once we're out of high school. <em>'I still don't know what I want to do with my life once I get out of high school. I already know that I can't stay at Shigure's house forever….eventually we'll all have to grow apart and go our own ways. Will I continue to work at Ayame's shop? Will I live alone if Kyo doesn't accept my feelings and Tohru grows up and leaves with Yuki?<em>' I let out a depressed sigh as I took my regular path to work after waving good-bye to a couple of my friends and to Kyo and Tohru who were going in the opposite direction. '_It's kind of scary to think about things like this but what can I do? Ayame's job pays well enough for me to stay in school and to buy food for myself and other things when the need arises but will that alone be enough to get me a house…to pay bills as well as food? What about college? Will I be able to afford that too?'_ I stopped at the corner with other people and waited for the light to change. '_It's hard to vision a future we don't yet see. When we were young it was so easy to imagine what we wanted to be when we grow up…something that'll make us happy. However as we grow up we lose and gain interest in different things.'_ As the light changed I watched the people around me as I walked. Some people appeared happy and care-free and others appeared stressed, depressed, and angry. '_One can only hope to live a stress-free content life. I would like to live a life where I won't have to work at a job I hate for several years with bitter resentment just because I was forced to decide on a career at my young age.' _ As I got closer to Ayame's shop I tried to put on a happy face before going into work. '_Oh who am I kidding? I'm going to die old and lonely with 5 cats.'_

(The following paragraph is based on a true event.)

"Thank you! Come again!" I chirped bagging up the last of the merchandise and pushed the large bag to the male customer. Once he went on his way the next set of customers appeared before me with a bundle of colorful clothes most likely form Mine's Colorful Selection. "Hello! Did you find everything you were looking for today?"

The older woman smiled as she placed the items on the counter for me to scan and bag, "Yes we did. Thank you."

As I carefully took the clothes off the hangers and folded them neatly a little girl probably 7 or older poked her head up to watch me fold the clothes. When I touched the familiar fabric of Sailor Mini Moon the little squeaked excitedly, "That one is mine! I'm going to be Sailor Mini Moon!"

I smiled at the little girl as I carefully folded and placed her costume in a separate bag just for her, "Oh? I think you'd make a great Sailor Mini Moon!" It really was cute to see kids were costumes like these. As I rung up the last of their items I pressed the total button on the computer to total up their things. When I read her total out loud the little girl tilted her head while her mother fished through her purse for money, "Is that hard?" She asked me pointing to the register.

"It was hard at first because I've never done it before but now it's easy." I told her.

"Did you have to go do school to learn how?"

I shrugged one shoulder, "Not exactly. But I learned math in school and it helps when I count money and give the correct change."

She squinted her eyes as he mom pulled out her wallet and shifted through her card probably wondering which one to pay with. "So I don't have to go to college to use that?" She points to the register again.

My smile faltered a bit. I didn't want to be responsible for influencing this girl on whether to go to school or not. "Well…not exactly but going to college is a good thing. Plenty of jobs look for people with college education."

"Really?"

What was taking her mom so long to find a single card?! "Yep. People pay more to those who have a college education. The higher your education the more money you get and the more people want to hire you." I tried to explain.

She studied me a bit more, "Are you in college?"

I chuckled uneasily, "N-no, I'm close to my last year in High School."

"Oh." The little girl blinked once and turned to her mom who had finally picked a card to pay with and handed it to me to slide through the register, "Okay, mom, I want to go to Princeton College."

"I think you mean Princeton University, sweetie." The mom corrected as I handed her back her card and pushed the bags towards her. "Thank you."

"Anytime." I replied with a plastered chipper smile, "Please come again!" I waved to them as they left, _'Please don't! Or at least leave your daughter behind!_'

(Thus concludes the true story and the end of my shift.)

As I closed down the register for the night Ayame came to me with the usual grin asking me to make more clothes before the week is out to add to the inventory. I told him I would try and proceeded out the door not very surprised to see Kyo out there sitting on the railing.

"Done?" He asks getting off the rail.

"Yep." I replied before falling into step next to him. "So how was training at the dojo today? Did I miss anything?"

"Nah. We took it easy today since it was Master's first day back." He placed his hands in the pockets of his pants as we walked, "Kagura came to practice today…"

"That's not very surprising." I replied, "She goes almost every day whereas you only go three times a week. What's wrong? Did she confess her love for you and broke one of the gates again?" When he flinched I realized I must've guessed right. "So what's the problem with that? She always confesses her love for you."

We took a right into the woods that took us on a beaten path to the house. "Yeah, well, it was different this time." Kyo mumbled but I still heard him.

"How different?"

He didn't reply for a good long while and I assumed he got lost in thought trying to come up with his own answer. By the look of his face he was indeed troubled by this but it also looked like he was fighting his own demons too. "Are you going to talk to her about it?" I finally asked when we approached the house. I could already smell Tohru's cooking wafting through the kitchen window, filling the night air.

"Yeah." He mumbled, "Don't tell Tohru the details. I'll just tell them I'm going out on Sunday."

I opened the front door and went inside to take off my shoes while he closed the door behind him. "Should I make you something casual to wear?" I teased lightly, hoping to lighten him up a bit.

He growled a bit as he slid off his shoes as well. "Spare me."

Shigure came shuffling in to greet us along with Tohru and Yuki who came out of the kitchen caring the dinner to the living room for everyone to eat. We all settled in the living room and tucked in for dinner. Kyo briefly explained to Tohru that he was going out on Sunday and that he wouldn't be needing dinner. Shigure teased that it was probably a date and winked at me as if insinuating that he knew it was me he was going out with. I gave him a look that plainly said that it wasn't me and he spouted off his next guess. "Kagura?" When neither one of us denied it he kept going, "Must be difficult to be popular with the ladies. When I was your age-"

"Date?" Yuki echoed in disgust towards Kyo, "You have time to go on dates but you don't have time to pick the girls up from work or help the girls around the house?"

"What does that have to do with this?!" Kyo shouted at him slamming his fist on the table, causing the dishware to bounce up once before settling back down in perfect place. "Anyway, it's your job to pick her up! Zakura can walk home just fine!" He had a point there. Yuki was out of line this time.

"Oh…um…" Tohru mutters trying to mediate the situation but I calmly placed rice in her mouth to keep her quite.

* * *

><p>Saturday very late at night…<p>

Once dinner was over and everyone had their bath we all said goodnight to each other and went to turn in for the night. Well, the others went to turn in for the night, I had work to do. I had my sketch pad tucked under my arm and my sewing kit and mini sewing machine in both hands. Tohru watched me set up my little area on the floor from her bed. "Are you not going to sleep, Zakura?"

I had turned off the light and turned on the lamp I had brought over from our little side table in between our beds. I adjusted it so that it illuminated my sketch pad. "Not right away." I told her as I reached under my bed and pulled out a Tablet that Mine bestowed upon me. She told me to only use it for work related things and this qualified. "I have a lot of costumes to make before Monday and I've barely started making them. I've only got the outlines done and Ayame will kill me if I don't get started soon."

She nodded without another word and settled down into bed before falling asleep.

I opened my sketch pad and started brain storming.

* * *

><p>6am…Sunday morning…<p>

I've come up with 10 costumes…I've got to make 10 costumes by Monday…which is technically tomorrow…damn!

"Hmmm!" Tohru woke up with a hum as she stretched her arms above her head. Opening her sleepy eyes she blinked once when she noticed me on the floor. "Zakura? You're still down there?"

Shutting down the tablet I tucked it under my bed and went to the closet to grab my tools and mannequin, "I've got too much work to do. I don't have time for sleep. I've managed to come with 10 costumes and I've got to get them all done _today_."

She slowly got out of bed, "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Could you bring it up here, please?" I asked her with my head still in the closet tossing out cases of pins, needles, thread, fabrics, patterns, scissors, hot glue gun, buttons, beads, and other little accessories. When I pulled my head out of the closet I looked at our room and saw the small mess I already created and I haven't even started yet. Looking up a Tohru I asked, "Do you think Shigure will let me borrow the living room if I run out of space in here?"

She let out a small laugh, "I'm sure he will if you ask." She walked over to the closet to pull out her clothes for the day, "And Yuki and I will sure to be out of your way today. We're going to visit the secret base today."

"Ok." I smiled at her giving her a brief hug knowing that I won't be coming out of this room for a while once I get into my creating mode. "See you later Tohru."

She smiled and headed for the bedroom door, "Try not to work too hard." She said before closing the door behind her.

Walking over to my bed I tore out the 10 costumes out of the sketch book and pinned them all to the wall. Going back to my sketch book I then tore out the pattern sheets and placed them to their specific costume. Nodding once when that was finished, I pulled my braided hair into a bun and metaphorically rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

* * *

><p>Tohru was a half hour into cooking breakfast when Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure all shuffled into the kitchen to bid her good morning as well as to see what she was cooking for breakfast.<p>

"Where's Miss. Kojima this morning?" Yuki asks Tohru.

"Oh. She's working on costumes. She's been awake for a long while."

Shigure nodded, "Ah, yes, we artists truly suffer for our work." He held up one finger with a grin, "As my teacher would always say, 'Sleep is for the weak!' I'm sure she'll be fine."

The moment he said that they could hear her cursing upstairs, "Why am I doing this to myself?! There are so many ruffles! I don't have enough laces! I'm running out of ribbons! Dammit! I used the wrong red! Where the hell did I put the glitter?! Tohru have you seen where I've thrown the hot glue gun?! Gah! It's stuck to Ciel's petticoat! Who ever made Vocaloid remind me to kill them! Why do all these costimues need layers upon layers of ruffles?! Where'd I put that corset! Whaa! Why is this happening to me!"

They stared at the roof for a good few moments waiting for her to start ranting again. When they were sure that she wouldn't start shouting they went on to attend their own errands for the day.

-0-0- 10 hours later… about 4 in the afternoon…-0-0-

After torturing myself for 10 hours straight I realized I made some of these costumes harder than they needed to be and I'm sure if Ayame was here he would scold me thoroughly for making amateur mistakes. But I'm making up for it now that I'm winding down to the finish on the last few costumes putting on the last fine details.

"Zakura?" I heard the bedroom door slowly open and Yuki and Tohru poked their heads in. "We're back. How's everything going? Shigure said you haven't come out of the room at all today."

I'm pretty sure my eyes were blood shot and my hair was a mess by now, "I'm down to the last one." I proudly showed them the outfit that was slowly coming together on the mannequin.

"Um…" Yuki and Tohru tilted their heads in confusion.

"It's great right?" I said moving around the mannequin, "What's best is that you can use materials you have lying around the house! The white sleeves shirt here is veil from white curtains in replace of bridal veil! Red satin to accent the top." I brushed the red fabric with my bandaged fingertips from pricking myself many times. "The base shirt was a white corset-like piece that I made then hand painted the fabric to give it the gradient look. Next I began putting down black ribbon evenly spaced with stitch witchery. This adhered to the veil fabric surprisingly well." Taking a step back I looked at the dress. "The red and black ruffle skirt is simple and fine the way it is but it's the next part here that's tricky and I'm going to require extra hands if I want to get this done." I told them eyeing them sharply, not caring that they flinched. "Hey, you're going to stay- you're going to work." I told them laying the 20 yard white fabric and black fabric on the floor. Handing them both a paintbrush and white paint I set them to work telling them to paint little white flowers on the black ribbon parts each at least 2 inches away from each other. While they did that I worked on the shoes to go with the dress…which was sad because they were the easiest part of the costume thus far. A few buttons and some red string and they were done.

-0- 1 hour later -0-

"How's this Zakura?" Tohru sat away from the fabric to show me the pattern and I was impressed how well they did.

"Very good work." I praised picking up the fabric and wrapped it around the mannequin before I started cutting, tying, pinching and sewing the skirt into submission. Don't ask me how I did it… I think it was magic. Or I did it while hallucinating from sleep deprivation. I can't really recall as I later got a very long red curtain rope with attached tassels to either end and wrapped it loosely around the waist of the dress. "Ta-da!" I sang!

Tohru clapped enthusiastically, "It's beautiful Zakura!"

Yuki nodded in agreement. "Yes." He looked about the messy room, "But um…this room is a pig sty…"

I waved my hand at him, "I've got it covered." I told him scooping all the left over materials onto a long trail of left over fabric from a gown I made and rolled it up into one and shoved it into the closet. "Problem solved! Now let's eat!

As we went downstairs and piled into the kitchen for some dinner the house phone rang. Tohru took it upon herself to answer while the rest of us grabbed some food.

"What?!" Tohru gasped loudly grabbing our attention, "Grandpa is bedridden?!"

I rushed into the hall with worry. Grandpa Honda is bedridden? That's terrible! I know he's slowing down with his age but he still had years left in him! I grabbed the phone from her so she could calm herself down after hearing the news, "Is he alright?"

"Oh. It's you." Her aunt said with distain, "Yes, he's fine. He just threw his back out, is all. He's sleeping right now. The doctor says he should stay put."

I placed a hand on Tohru's shoulder, "He's doing alright." I whispered to her before talking to her aunt again, "Thank you for letting us know."

"Sure. Oh, and Tohru's parent-teacher conference is coming up, isn't it? I wonder what we should do about that since her grandfather is in no condition…"

"I don't suppose you could fill in out of the goodness of your cold heart-" I retorted before Shigure kindly snatched the phone away from me .

"Hello? I've taken the phone." Shigure informed the woman on the other end as he gently pushed me to the side, "This is Shigure Sohma…" There he goes again putting on the fake charm. "Yes it nice to speak to you too."

Yuki walked over to us, "Is your grandfather alright?"

Tohru nodded shakingly, "Y-yes, he threw his back out…I-I should probably visit him soon…"

I held her shaking hands hoping that I could pour my strength into her to help her through this, "It'll be okay, Tohru. He just hurt himself…he'll be fine in no time."

"Y-yes…"

"Well, if you'll excuse me!" Shigure chirped promptly hanging up the phone. Tohru and Yuki were shocked thinking he hung up on her in a middle of a conversation and promptly scolded him. He defended himself saying that they had finished talking and that he would be going to Tohru's parent-teacher conference in grandpa's place. Tohru tried to persuade from going through the trouble but he was firm (as firm as Shigure can get with sweet little Tohru). I don't buy it…why would Shigure go through the trouble?

"What the- Why's everyone standing in the hall?" Kyo asks taking off his shoes at the entrance.

"Welcome home Kyo." Tohru and I chimed just as Shigure explained that Tohru's grandpa threw his back out and he was taking his place. After hearing that Kyo said he was going to bed and quietly went upstairs. Worriedly Tohru softly said goodnight to him. I wonder what happened with his outing with Kagura to make him go off to bed early. I'm sure whatever it is he can sort it out on his own…he wouldn't want any of us prying into his business.

* * *

><p>Monday morning, school lunch break…<p>

For lunch today we met up with Momiji and Hatsuharu since we've haven't really been able to talk to them since vacation. Tohru told Momiji and Hatsuharu about her grandfather and that she was going to visit him after school today. Momiji gave her his sympathy while Haru joked that a man's life is his back. That sent her into a mini tizzy and I slapped Haru on the arm for the bad joke. Tohru was already worrying her silly little head off because she thinks Grandpa Honda wont recovery just as her dad didn't recover from his cold. She's scared of losing another family member who ever really loved her.

"Where's Kyo?" Haru asks me pausing the game on his Gameboy, "I haven't seen him in a while."

I pointed up to the school roof where we all could see his bright orange hair even from this distance, "He asked to be alone for lunch…he's been feeling down ever since yesterday."

"What, are you cutting him off from your loving?" He teased with a straight face.

"Haru..." I glared.

Momiji made his stuffed bunny give Tohru a kiss to help her feel better, "Don't worry Tohru!" He chirped, "Everything will be ok! Let's go buy some juice to help you feel better!" He grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the vending machines behind the school. Yuki, Haru, and I slowly got up to join them.

"Someone as chipper as Momiji is good for her when she feels like this." I remarked.

Haru pockets his game boy, "He's like an air purifier for people." He turns to Yuki, "So how's the student council thing going?"

"It's going fine…though I'm not sure how it'll turn out." He chuckled, "I work with interesting people."

"It's good that you're doing something different." Haru replied, "Do your best."

Yuki nodded somberly.

Is it just me or is everyone having an off weekend ever since we got back from vacation? Seems like Kyo and Yuki aren't the only one fighting their inner demons. Everyone is starting to have that same troubled look in their eyes. Maybe it's just the stress of school getting to them since this is our 3rd year. I hope everyone gets well soon.

* * *

><p>"You two came all the way here to see me?" Grandpa whispers turning his head to face us.<p>

Tohru and I kneeled quietly at his side with small smiles, "Yes." Grandpa's kitten came from the foot of Grandpa's futon to settle in my lap, curling up in a little ball.

"That makes this old man very happy. Thank you, girls." He chuckled, "Will you be alright with the parent-teacher conference?"

Tohru nodded, "Yes! It's all worked out. How are you feeling grandpa?"

He grinned as if he's in no pain at all, "I'm all right. Except for my back. All I do is sleep…"

I smiled at him, "You hang in there gramps. You still got years in you."

"I may be old but my mind is still as sharp as ever." He opened his beady eyes and stared at the ceiling, "For the first time in a long time I dreamt of Kyoko and Katsuya…it brought back memories…Katsuya and I never got along…but Kyoko bridged us together. They were very happy together…I'd like to see them one more time…" Tohru and I exchanged a worried glance, "Even if it's as a ghost…I want to see them again…"

"Gran-" Tohru started to say but a light snore kept her quite. That was a bit scary; him talking about the dead when for all we know he could be on his death bed!

We left quietly not even saying good-bye to the others because Tohru was about to have a mini break down. And she did as soon as we got far enough away from that house. She fell onto her knees and cried on me begging for grandpa to not say things like that to her, for him to not leave her behind, to not disappear like her mother did.

All I could do was hold her tight and tell her that I wouldn't leave her. That I would do my best to always be here for her.

"Hey…" A gruff voice whispered behind me. I looked up to see Kyo standing there looking concern. He knelt down next to us and asked Tohru if she was alright. Even through her tears she managed a yes. Without a word of warning he grabbed both of us by our arms and hoisted us to our feet.

"Wah!" Tohru let out a startled cry as she stumbled a bit when Kyo released her.

"A warning would've been nice." I told him. His hand slowly slid down my arm before he commented that he didn't want us to sit on the ground all day.

* * *

><p>Parent-teacher conference day!<p>

I always found parent-teacher conferences weird mostly because you see parents in school and watch them reminisce about the old days when they were in school and you get to see your friends parents and hear them embarrass you with stories you wish your other friends didn't know about.

I haven't see Uo and Hana's parents in a while so it was good catching up with them again. Uo's dad still hasn't found a good paying job to cover most expenses leaving her to constantly look around for a full-time job. Hana's mother was still as kind hearted as ever despite years of stress from Hana's quirky behavior. Unsurprisingly Shigure causes an uproar when he showed up in a familiar expensive suit with Tohru today. Everyone naturally commented on his devilish good looks and stalked around the classroom door to listen in on their conference. The teachers had a hard time getting most of the female students to get out of the hallway but everyone was eager to see the parents of the Sohmas.

"Zakura." I heard Hanabi call for me. "It's our turn." Should anyone really be surprised that my godmother came instead of my actual mother? No? Alright. She was too busy in America to come anyway.

"So Zakura, what are your future goals?" There it was the dreaded question that's been plaguing me all week. "Do you plan to work or go to college?"

"Work, I guess, since I can't afford college." I answered.

"You know that the school can help you." He shuffled his papers, "With your good grades we can get you scholarships."

'But I hate studying.'

Hanabi placed her hand on my shoulder, "And you know I'll support and help you with whatever you need." She gave me a knowing look, "The future is never set in stone. One day you want to be this and then next week you want to be that. There's no rush for you to decide right now."

Smiling I nodded, "For now I want to continue making clothes."

My teacher smiled, "I'll put that down on your records. I hope you do well in the future. Keep up the good work."

We nodded and left the classroom. Hanabi commented how that went faster than she originally thought and she had another hour to waste before going back into work.

"Thanks again for coming Hanabi." I told her pulling her into a hug, "It really means a lot."

She hugged me back, "I was happy to. Walking through a High School building sure brings back the memories." She says looking around. "Where's Tohru anyway?"

"Probably with Uo and Hana." I said, looking around trying to see any familiar faces. I saw Kyo walking towards me with Master Kazuma . We all exchanged a quick greeting before Kyo had to go in for his conference. It was very nice to see Master Kazuma show up here with Kyo.

"So that was Kazuma Sohma?" Hanabi asks thoughtfully. "Why must all Sohma men be so handsome?"

"You got me." I shrugged.

"Ah! Zakura!" Shigure sprung up from the small crowd of people and I was very surprised that he was still around. Then again he must have years of experience getting through crowds such as these without transforming. "There you are I was looking for you."

"You were?"

He chuckled as he looked towards Hanabi, "Well, more of looking for _her_."

Hanabi peered closely at Shigure, "Hey…isn't that Hatori's suit?" She asked accusingly pointing to the suit. "Why do you have it?"

"Shigure doesn't wear casual clothing." I remarked. He has a kimono for every day of the week.

Shigure's smile never fell, "Don't worry, I'll be sure to return it. I just wanted a chance to meet the famous Hanabi that has melted Hatori's heart! Hatori has really kept me in the dark about you!"

"Um…"

"So you really took Grandpa's place just to get a chance to meet Hanabi because Hatori refuses to tell you?!" I thought he had better priorities than this!

Shigure waved his hands at me as if to fan away my anger, "Now, now, I did it for Tohru too!"

"You are the worst Shigure!" I shouted waving my finger at him.

Hanabi crossed her arms, "Now I see why Hatori never really has anything good to say about him."

-0- later that day -0-

"Wait…Huh?" I asked even though I heard the sentence clearly my mind had a hard time wrapping around it.

"Miss Hanajima likes Shihan?" Yuki repeated clearly as confused as me.

Tohru nodded enthusiastically with a blush on her face. "Yes!"

I dropped the soba noodles in the boiling pot, "Isn't that a strange combination though? I'm not sure that's legal…" The age difference is too great!

That didn't seem to bother Hana though as she placed a hand on her cheek as if she were in a dilemma, "But…I'm a bit worried about having such a large problem child."

Kyo turned pale with disgust, "Wait, dammit! There's no way I'd want Hanajima as my mom!"

Uo slapped him on the back with a large grin, "Don't worry! It'll work out! You'd finally be able to dye your hair black!"

Shigure leaned against the wall in the kitchen, "You shouldn't just ignore your Master's feelings."

Don't bottle too much inside. While thinking of the future is important don't lose sight of the here and now. Sometimes when the thoughts and pressure gets too much stop and sit down to enjoy the things you do whether alone or with someone else because the future isn't set in stone. There are times when you feel that you should quit or don't quit…to fall in line or to step out of it. We're all concern with what is and what will be when we're wasting time with things we shouldn't be concerned with. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift because it's the present. So don't waste it.


	27. Whirlwind of emotions

Alrighty, sorry for the major delay. These last few months…ugh, don't get me started. I'll tell you one thing life really is too short. Ok, the oc that was mention from a chapter or two ago, I don't know I don't read my own story, is introduced in this chapter. **He doesn't play a major role in the plot at all**! I needed something to fill in the major chapters in vol 13 where Tohru goes to find Kureno and sees Momiji's little sister instead. Zakura needs her own random adventure too while Tohru's away. If anything it's a lesson to Zakura as to why she can't go anywhere on her own…and that she has a potentially dangerous job if it concerns those anime perverts.

* * *

><p>OnceUponAnAubi<p>

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**I forever thank you all for your everlasting support and kind words. Give yourselves a pat on the back. Right now. Because you deserve it. Do it. I'd give you one but due to laws of physics I cannot.**

* * *

><p><strong>c) Natsuki Takaya<strong>

_I was so happy when you smiled_

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_

* * *

><p>This week has been very…weird…almost chaotic to say the least. With the end of the year coming up along with our class trip to Kyoto it seems like everyone is scrambling around and causing more trouble than usual. I think it first started yesterday morning with Yuki's phone call to his mother. He's the only one in our class who hasn't had his parent-teacher conference and trust me all the girls knew it. Everyone is curious to what his parents must be like. I had hoped that they were nothing like Ayame but after seeing his face this morning as he waited outside the school for his mother I had to hope that they were like Ayame because Yuki looked like he was getting ready to face a death sentence standing out there in the rain like that.<p>

"I sure hope he'll be ok." Tohru whispers worriedly standing in the hall with her pink umbrella in her hands, "He looks so sad."

I hummed in agreement. "I've never seen him look this fragile since Akito." That much is true. Poor Yuki, sometimes he really is as delicate as he looks when it comes to things like this.

"I wish there was something I can do." She looked out the window helplessly. The rain sure did set the depressing mood around here.

"You can wait here for him." I told her placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort, "I'm sure when he sees your smiling face he'll feel better." I smiled at her in emphasis.

"Do you think so?"

I nodded and pushed her towards the end of the hall, "Now run along and head home before the rain gets any worse."

"Um – ah," She stumbled a bit before facing me again, "B-but what about you? Aren't you heading home to?"

I shook my head with a small smile, "I have a few more club things to do before I head home." I lied, "The sewing club president needed to talk to me about something." That was a complete lie seeing as the school doesn't have a sewing club. Believe me I know, I looked. "So don't wait up."

Nodding hesitantly she went on her way and once she was completely gone I let out a small relieved sigh. Sorry Tohru, maybe we can't do anything to help Yuki at the moment but I know someone else who can.

"Ah, the poor dear!" Ayame sighs dramatically as he strolls up to me from behind with a shake of his head. "She'll give herself grey hairs before she's 20."

"You have grey hair." I retorted turning my head to take in his appearance. "What the hell are you wearing?" How the hell did Mine let him walk out the door wearing that ensemble? But should I really be surprised? They've been on the English clothing of 1800s for about a month now. The tailored coat and slacks were fine, but his shirt needs to be burned. "And what's with the roses?"

He flourished the bouquet in my face, "Is it not proper to bring flowers to the lovely teacher who has guided my brother to becoming a better man?"

"It's a bit much." I told him but I knew it was a fruitless effort to dissuade him. Grabbing him by the arm I showed him to our classroom where Yuki was having his conference, "They haven't been in there long. Go in there and be a big brother!" I coached him.

Ayame ran his hand through his silver bangs with confidence oozing from him, "Have no fear, dear Yuki! Ayame is here!" He slammed the door opened and strolled in like he owned the place…with grace of course. Not really wanting to see the fireworks I closed the door once he was in and walked down the hall, happy to let that little disaster run its course.

When I rounded the corner I saw Tohru standing there. "Tohru, I thought you went home."

She held the umbrella closer to her chest, "I couldn't stop thinking about Yuki."

Walking over to her I placed both hands on her shoulders, "You're worrying too much again. Yuki's a big boy; he can handle a little conference."

She tilted her head down to look at our feet and I knew my words weren't really giving her comfort unless she sees Yuki for herself.

"Excuse me." A voice shook from behind us and we immediately moved over to make room for the silver haired woman to pass.

"Was that…?" Tohru trailed off looking to where the woman left and then looked over my shoulder. I turned my head to see Yuki standing behind me looking somewhat relieved…well more relieved than he's ever been since this morning. He opened his mouth to say something but a boy with blonde hair grabbed him by his arm and dragged him the opposite way yelling something about an emergency. Wonder what that was about? Tohru sighed lightly while taking the soft pink ribbon out of her hair. I remember that Yuki gave her that for White Day last year. She cradled it in her hands and held it to her chest with a smile.

Well I'm glad that's one disaster averted. Maybe now things will calm down a little.

-0-

Maybe things calmed down a little too much. Now I'm bored out of my mind! Since when does everyone have something to do after school on a Thursdays? Usually we all have a set routine of lazing around the house doing our own thing! Shigure locks himself in his room writing his smut, Yuki and Kyo lock themselves in their rooms doing who knows what, Tohru does chores if she doesn't have work, and I make clothes when I don't have work. So why the heck is everyone busy all of a sudden?

"My, my." Shigure walked into the living room, "Everyone is gone for the day. Yuki's at school for student council, Kyo's off training, and even Tohru went somewhere all dressed up."

Sniffling I rested my chin on the back of my hands as I leaned on the table, "Everyone has a life but me!"

Shigure slither across to me, "Well if you're bored~ I'm on my lunch break right now and we can-!" I shoved the pillow I was sitting on in his face.

"I'll take a walk." I decided leaving him there. _'Ugh what was I thinking staying home alone with Shigure?'_ Sleeping on my shoes I walked out the door and walked down the beaten path that led to town. _'What should I do? It's so boring without having anyone to talk to…but everyone's busy…I could go to the dojo and train…but Kyo's been so closed off from me lately and training's not as fun without him teaching me…I could go to the shop and make clothes…that's all I can do…I think it's time for me to branch out in my hobbies.'_ Walking out of the woods I set course for Ayame's shop. It may be my day off but it never hurts to create.

"Ah!" Someone gasp drawing my attention. Turning around I came face to face with the boy with bright blue hair I bumped into the other day, "It is you!"

I looked around to see if he was talking to anyone around me when I didn't see anyone I pointed to myself in question. He nodded enthusiastically and quickly approached me, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

"Um, hi?" I squeaked in fear when he grabbed my hands and held them to our eye level.

"I've looked for you for so long, my angel!" Wow. That's a first.

"Uh…"

"Ever since I saw you for the first time a month ago I couldn't get you out of my mind!" I tried to wreck my brain trying to place a name to this face. I've never seen him before! Surely, he has me mixed up with someone.

"Um…I think you have me confused with someone else…"

"No!" He denied rather passionately, "I recognize you anywhere! Ever since I saw you dressed as the Dark Magician girl outside that fabric store I knew that I had to get to know you!" He squeezed my hands tighter, "Dressed so adorable with that short pink skirt, your lovely legs glistening in the sunlight, twirling that cute little staff with that adorable smile on your face! I nearly melted in my shoes!"

I hated that skirt because it felt like people could see up my skirt every time there was a gust of wind. I hate my legs. I hit myself in the face once while trying to twirl that thing and I wasn't really smiling because it was hot under that big hat!

He pulled my hands until they rested over his heart which I felt was beating fast, "Ever since that day I've watched you. Each cute costume you wear outside the shop sends my heart a flutter! Every smile you shoot at me even though you're not aware that you're looking directly at me makes my legs lock up with love!" I leaned back from him, trying to take my hands with me. "You have the voice of an angel. It's music to my ears hearing you greet everyone. 'Welcome!'" He tried to mimic my voice.

Ok. Now I'm officially scared. "I'm very flattered." I strained trying to pry my hands from his, "A-and I really appreciate the compliments." I took a step back but he still wouldn't release my hands, "B-but I really should be going."

"W-wait!" He begged pulling me closer, "I've waited so long for this moment! In the many weeks that I've watched and followed you to school I finally have the opportunity to ask you something very important."

"What?!" I squeaked fearing for my life.

"Will you go out with me?"

My jaw promptly dropped and I'm pretty sure my face was skewed. "What?! No!" I shook my head vigorously, "No! No! I politely refuse!"

"Please! I'll treat you like the princess angel that you are!"

"No!" I tugged my hands one last time and when he didn't let go I went with my last resort. Pulling my leg back I brought it forward quickly and kicked him in the groin. When he released my hands to cup himself I reared my fist back and punched in him the stomach and then punched him in the jaw. Once he started stumbling I crouched down and swiped his legs out under him.

"Ugh!" He grunted. Now that he's down I'm getting the heck out of there.

"Bye! Sorry!" I apologized while running for my life. I looked back quite frequently to make sure he wasn't following me. When I came to the broken part of the wall that led back into the woods I all but dove in there and ran all the way back to Shigure's house.

"Safe!" I shouted bursting through the door and slammed it closed behind me.

Shigure's head poked out of the living room, "How was your walk?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" I shouted back running up the stairs and into the safety of my room.

-0-0-

Later that night after dinner no one really talked about their day other than Shigure who only talked about his smut novel. Seeing as the conversations weren't going anywhere we all ate rather quickly and went to bed. I couldn't really sleep thinking about that blue haired guy. Tohru apparently couldn't sleep either. As I laid awake in bed I heard her get out of hers. There was a bit of shuffling before I heard our window open. I assume she was just getting some air and thought nothing of it until I heard the clacking of the latter. I guess she's going up on the roof to think. I turned over trying to let sleep come to me but then I heard the latter move again. Someone else on the roof? Throwing the covers off I went to investigate because I'm just that noisy. Leaning against the wall of the window I listened in.

"Did you go on an expedition or something today?" That's Kyo's voice!

"Eh?"

"When you came home, your clothes were really dirty. Zakura worked hard to make those, you know." Yes I did, but I wasn't really upset that they were dirty.

"Yes…well…it was the very least I could do…" She whispered. Well that made no sense.

"Huh?"

She didn't say anything for a moment. It was nerve wracking not knowing what expressions they were making to each other. "Kyo…you'd want to be with…the person you love, right? You'd want to be near them, wouldn't you?"

"…."

_'Well, don't you?!'_ I shouted in my mind leaning closer towards the window. '_Give me some sort of sign that I have a chance with you!'_

"…What…? You don't think Yuki is interested in you anymore?"

"N-no! I wasn't talking about m-myself!"

I heard him scoff, "Don't worry…I'll cooperate with you…"

'_What?!'_ I gaped. 'What do you mean by that?!' I shook my head in denial, tears swelling in my eyes, _'No! You can't be her fall back if her and Yuki have a fallin' out! What about me, Kyo? I- I thought….Hatsuharu said that you_…'

"Why are you crying?!"

I gasp covering my face, thinking that they saw me.

"F-for some reason…I don't know…tears suddenly…" She sniffled several times before she spoke again, "Kyo…what do you wish for?"

He chuckled lightly, "For a certain someone to stop crying."

Tohru giggled lightly before they went quite again. '_Now I'm more nervous than ever! What if Kyo does like Tohru more than me? What if he's holding back because she and Yuki are together? What if he's waiting for them to have a falling out and then just sweeps her off her feet?' _I stumbled back to bed and threw the covers over my head. _'I thought that I meant something to him…more than a friend…'_ I reached under my pillow and felt my hand connect with a cool plastic case. Pulling it out I cradled the small sewing kit he gave me against my cheek remembering the warm feeling I felt in my chest when he gave it to me.

-0-0-

The next morning breakfast was just as awkward and silent as dinner. When did things get so weird that we can't fully enjoy a similar meal together? Kyo even turned on the tv to avoid talking to us for heaven's sake!

"Yuki?" Shigure looked up from his meal after seeing Yuki get up to leave the table, "You're going to your room already?"

Yuki nodded, "There are some things that I want to look up." Maybe it was a student council thing since we didn't have homework that needed any kind of research. "And I have to start packing for tomorrow's trip."

Oh yeah the trip to wonderful Kyoto. I'm all set to go. Got my uniform and my wallet and a backpack for all the souvenirs I'm going to buy for everyone. "There isn't much to pack since we'll be in uniforms."

Tohru looked between the two of us confused, "Are the two of you going on a trip?"

Yuki turned to her with a look of surprise, "Miss Honda, did you forget?" By the look on both their faces they obviously did, "Tomorrow is our class trip."

Both she and Kyo gasped in horror that they forgot. Most likely not at all prepared for tomorrow and will now have to scramble to get their stuff together at last minute. "You too?" Yuki looked at Kyo not at all surprised that he forgot.

"I can't remember every single little thing!" He defended, "I don't even want to go."

I began stacking the dishes together so they could get washed now that everyone was finished eating, "The teacher reminded us about the trip this morning and it's mandatory." Standing up I wandered into the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink, "Besides you already signed the permission slip."

Even from the kitchen I could hear Tohru panicking, "W-What should I do? I haven't packed a thing!" She turned to Shigure, "Shigure, is there anything you would like me to bring back for you?" And now she was going to worry herself into a tizzy trying to get gifts for all her friends and then worrying if she had enough money saved up to buy all their gifts.

"Oh no." Shigure smiled, "Don't you worry about me." He gave her a wink, "You have fun. It's very important for you to go on this trip. Especially while you're still in school."

Kyo let out a bothered sigh as he turned his attention back to the tv, "Whadda mean important? It's going to be one big pain in the ass."

Shigure promptly threw one of his novels at the back of Kyo's head, "Stupid Kyo!" Kyo shouted in pain, covering the back of his head where the book hit him. "A class trip is a romantic event!" I picked up the book he threw and set it on the table. He really needed to stop making a mess while making a point, "It's the only reason anyone goes on those trips! It's the perfect opportunity for young people to be left on their own to confess their love and are in return confessed too-" By that point Yuki and Kyo grabbed Tohru and I by the wrists and dragged us out the room, probably not wanting our innocent minds to be tainted, "And then the experience of their first- Hey, listen to me!"

"Let's go, girls." The boys said in unison.

-0-

So after a long boring morning of teachers taking attendance and double checking that all the students had what they were supposed to have and took what they weren't supposed to have. Trust me it took a hour for the teachers to take a bunch of…inappropriate items from a couple of students and judging by the look on the teachers faces I'm surprised they haven't canceled the trip. The train and bus ride was even worse. The Prince Yuki fanclub keeping other girls from sitting next to Yuki caused the trip to be almost unbearable, they kept glaring and arguing with any girl that sat anywhere near Yuki. In the end Yuki and Kyo had to sit together, appease the girls. Uo and Hana sat in the seats in front of them while Tohru and I sat behind Yuki and Kyo. Uo complained the seats were uncomfortable and that the bus was hot. Hana took everything in stride as she usually does. Yuki and Kyo bickered quietly amongst themselves about being so close to each other. I just wanted certain individuals to stop shouting and singing.

-0-0-

"Isn't it beautiful?" Tohru breathed in awe as everyone slowly walked the path of the famous bamboo thicket in Arashiyama. The red and yellow maple leaves slowly fell around us giving everything the serene tranquil look, I think it even had an effect on some of us.

"Yes, truly." Hana smiled next to Tohru. She's the one I'm talking about. I've never seen Hana so zenned out before. "It suddenly makes me want to read a haiku."

"Whah!" Tohru gushed happily at Hana, "I would love to hear it!"

Hana closed her eyes with a serene smile on her face, "Let us make a fine country The Kamakura Shogunate…"

"That's not a Haiku." Kyo stated at the same time Uo said, "This isn't Kamakura."

Tohru tried her hand at it, "In that case, what about, 'Sing nightingale in the Heian Capital'?"

Hana giggled, "Oh! You're right…my mistake…You have one-upped me."

"That's not a Haiku!" The others said. Well weren't they sucking all the happiness out of the tranquil grove.

"I think I got one." I reached up and caught a falling yellow leaf out of the air, "Yellow maple leaf, quietly pirouetting, seeks the settling spot." The girls applauded while complimenting me for my on the spot Haiku while the boys just nodded.

As we came to the end of the grove the teachers informed everyone that we will stop by 'The monkey park' for lunch before getting back into town. Why would we stop at a park just for monkey's to try to swipe our lunches I'll never know.

"Know what sucks about traveling as a group?" Uo asks us rhetorically out loud, "We visit the boring historical places."

Yuki sweatdrops but forces a smile, "Unfortunately as a class trip there's only so much we can do."

Hana places a hand over her heart in depression, "It pains me that I cannot freely try the food at various restaurants."

Uo wraps her arms around Tohru and I with a bright smile, "I know! Let's all come again some time! Just us girls! We'll visit Akihabara and then dance our way to Shibuya!"

Tohru nodded eagerly. It has been a long time since we all had a girls day out. "We should visit more shrines and temples!" Tohru suggested. I don't think she completely understood that Uo wanted to get away from the boring shrines and temples.

But Uo wasn't one to upset Tohru, "Sure, we'll even visit the gardens!"

"And try plenty of food." Hana inputs.

"And the shops!" I chirped.

Then the three of us chuckled darkly, "And then a murder mystery will occur…

"Ehh?!" Tohru spazzed, probably confused as to how we included a murder mystery in our future plans. We quickly assured that we were joking. But we really did want to visit all the sights and sounds outside of Tokyo.

"Hey." One of our classmates bravely nudged Hana who had magically acquired a pastry treat, "Do you think that's the first class trip couple?" We all turned our attention to where he was pointing and sure enough we could see a boy and girl holding hands with hearts dancing around their heads.

"Hey, you're right." Uo agreed a little surprised.

We looked around to see if we could spot anymore. Now that we were on lunch break it seems like everyone is branching out a little more, almost pairing off. Sure enough, though, we did see a few boys and girls pairing together with their lunches.

"I wonder what it is about these trips that make people want to confess their love." The boy wondered, watching his best friend share his lunch with a girl.

"Could it be the 'excitement'?" Hana bit into her pastry.

I nodded thinking back to what Shigure said last night, "The different setting or the atmosphere?" I guessed as well after edging away from a monkey that tried to grab at my leg. It scampered off when its attempt fails, "Although how can anyone get romantic with these monkeys around?"

From behind me I heard Uo sigh with sadness, "Confess their love…"

"Uo?" Tohru asks with concern. That's right Uo met someone over break and was never able to find him again. It sounded like a random meeting of a stranger to us, but to Uo it seemed so much more than that. It really is hitting her hard and I guess seeing everyone slowly pair up wasn't helping.

"Don't you think it's strange?" Uo asks ignoring Tohru's concern for her sudden depression, "If there's such a rush for everyone to confess their love…" She turns her attention to Yuki who was currently studying a map handout, most likely trying to figure out where we're going next after this, "…You would think that Prince charming would be I high demand right now." Yuki looked up when he heard us talking about him, "So why does he have so much free time?"

We all blinked with surprise and shock to see that Yuki was in fact walking around with us hassle free of girls trying to drag him away. "You're right!"

Yuki tucks the handout under his arm and faces us, "I'm not as popular as you all think." We all sighed at his obliviousness. "Besides, Kyo is more popular than I am." He smirks deviously at that, "It would seem that someone has called him as we speak."

We all turned in different directions looking for the brooding orange head. He had been surprisingly quiet after our attempts at Haiku that we didn't notice him slip away!

"He's really gone!" They gasps scandalously before grouping together, "Let's go find him!"

"The stud is getting confessed to!"

"We should spy o them!"

"Whoo hoo!"

Tohru looked a bit unsure if the three of us, her, Yuki, and I, should follow them. I personally don't care if it's rude or not. I want to see. More importantly I want to see whose confessing and what will be said after said confession.

"Don't worry, Miss Kojima." Yuki placed a hand on my shoulder facing the opposite direction that everyone else was going. "He won't be swayed."

I stared at his back as he walked away. Yuki is aware too…of Kyo's feelings…just like Hatsuharu…should I be confident now? Should I trust their word that Kyo feels something towards me like I feel something towards him? Should I do as Hatsuharu says and just lay my feelings out to Kyo? Would that make me different from any other girl who confesses their feelings to Kyo? Would it make me any different from Kagura, who has known Kyo far longer than me? Do I have the right?

-0-0-

"Wh-why?! What's wrong with dating?"

We all peered through the bamboo thicket, parting them slightly to not give away our position while spying at the same time. Pretty smart of them to try to talk in such a secluded location in the bamboo grove and if it wasn't for Kyo's bright hair we wouldn't have found them.

"I've always liked you! Since first year!"

Kyo looked a bit annoyed by the whole thing as usual. Typical that this kind of thing would annoy him. I think it's that bad-boy aura he gives off that drives the girls wild in the first place. The whole I-don't-care and stay-away-from-me vibe just turns some girls on. "Look, I don't like you. I don't even know you're name." That's not surprising. When Kyo doesn't care he doesn't waste energy with it. He doesn't care to know about most of the people in our class and it's our third year!

"You can learn my name **now**!" The girl insisted taking a step closer to him. Tohru and I grew tense when she did. We were worried that she might jump him and the last thing we need was him transforming in front of her and the others. And I'm pretty sure Hatori won't take too kindly to traveling all the way out here to suppress their memories. "If you go out with me you can **grow** to like me!"

The guys lean closer to get a better view, "They're really getting into it." One whispers with excitement.

"It's more like an argument than a confession." Uo observed, leaning in closer as well, "Obviously he's going to say no."

Kyo turns away from the girl, clearly having enough, "That's not the problem." He tells her, "I'm not interested, ok?"

"How mean!" She yells at his retreating form, "Wait a minute!" We could see her face a little more clearly and her eyes were becoming red from her tears, "Don't you think you're being awfully cold?! You won't give me a chance!" She grabs the crock of his elbow to keep him from leaving but that was a big mistake. For one thing that arm held his bracelet…the other is that Kyo doesn't let just anyone touch him. It's a matter of trust and only his tight small circle of friends outside his family can touch him.

Kyo snatches his arm back quickly and glowers heatedly at her. "**_Don't…touch me_**." I think shivers went down all of our spines from his tone. That's not his normally pissed off tone. His pupils turned cat like with deadly anger, "You're pissing me off." I think Black Haru has competition now… "Who do you think you are…making a guy like me part of your stupid romantic dreams? I don't have time for bullshit like that-"

The guys quickly shoved Kyo over, knocking him flat out on the ground, "Kyon you idiot!"

"Wha?!" Kyo quickly recovered from the tackle and glared at the rest of us coming out of the thicket, "What are you guys doing here?!"

The boys ignored his question completely, "You have to treat girls more gently when you're rejecting them!"

"That's right!" His friend agrees, "If you can't be gentle, you'll never be a real man!"

Kyo stood up while dusting the dirt off his uniform, "Look…what good would it do if I'm nice to a girl I'm not interested in?"

"You'll never be popular like that!"

"You'll be all alone!"

Kyo closed his eyes as if trying to block them out, "Who cares?! Maybe I like being alone and I don't care if I'm not popular!"

That threw the guys for a loop. Guess they never heard a good looking guy claim that they don't care about being popular. They soon started spouting off how they want to be so popular that they'd be sick of it. With the romantic feeling ruined the girl wiped her face of tears while glaring at us, blaming us for spying on them. She even went as far to accuse Uo of liking Kyo. This resulted in her getting yelled at by the both of them and chased all the way back to the lunch area.

_His words…They tore violently through my heart. When he says that he doesn't have time for love and romance…I think that now…I think that Yuki and Haru are wrong. He might've not had said it directly to me…but if I put myself in that girls' place…would it have gone any different? Really…who am I to make him part of my romantic dream?_

"Ah…um…What on earth could've caused such an uproar?" Tohru timidly asks Kyo. She could see his bad-mood face but bravely tried to ask anyway.

Kyo turned his head away from her, "Nothing. It's got nothing to do with anyone."

Yuki sighed tiredly before walking over to Kyo. Kyo opened his mouth to say something but Yuki big a karate chop on Kyo's head! That's a new move!  
>"OW!" Kyo cradled his head, "What the hell was that for?!"<p>

Yuki glowered at him, "You destructive idiot!"

That caught Kyo off guard. Wow, Yuki's on a roll today! New technique to discipline Kyo and a new insult to throw him off balance. The others came over to praise Yuki on his technique and to tease Kyo at the same time. Hana offered Tohru and I some dango that she acquired from who knows where.

-0-0-

After taking a small tour of the Imperial Palace and taking lots of picture everyone boarded the subway train that would take us east to the next destination; the Heian Shrine. It was as beautiful as the previous shrines we've seen. We were even lucky to see a small play on the streets about the history of Heian Shrine. Everyone took pictures and walked around for an hour before we departed again, this time we're heading south to the shopping district for us to get the opportunity to buy souvenirs. The teachers decided that since we're a large group of students it would be best to shop in the Higashiyama District. They figured it would be a great experience traditional old Kyoto; it would be like taking a step back in time walking through the narrow lanes, wooden buildings and traditional shops that invoke the feeling of being back in the old capital city. Yuki even informed us from his little booklet that they had recent renovations that removed telephone poles and repaved the streets to give it more of the traditional feel.

Stepping off the train I felt like I really did step back in time. The streets in Higashiyama are lined by small shops, cafes and restaurants (Hana took advantage of those) which, according to Yuki, have been catering to tourists and pilgrims for centuries. These businesses retain their traditional design, although many have been renovated through the years, and they continue to serve customers today, selling local specialties such as Kiyomizu-yaki pottery, sweets, pickles, crafts and other souvenirs.

"Miss Kojima." Yuki called me from outside the crowd, waving his arm in the air. With my items in my arms I elbowed my way through the crowd to get to him. "You're buying quite a lot." He said looking at the bags in my arms, "This is only the first stop you know. There will be plenty of time to buy more when we leave tomorrow."

"I know." I told him organizing my bags, "But these aren't for me." I squatted down and gestured for him to do the same so he could see what I've bought. "I've got silk fabric balls for Mine, A Hello Kitty charm for Kisa, Engraved shuriken for Haru-"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Yuki interrupted curiously.

"Probably not." I continued undaunted, "Chocolate shaped bunnies for Momiji, a variety of tea flavors for Shigure, a black china plate with Kinkaku-ji in gold painting for Hatori, a ram and monkey ornament for Hiro and Ritsu, a floral pattern parasol for Ayame." Yuki cringed at that. "A incent burner for Kazuma, a hair accessory for Kagura, paring knives with sakura blossoms on them for Tohru, and glass wind chimes for Uo and Hana and Megumi. And decorative pottery for Hanabi." I went through the metal list in my head wondering if I forgot anyone. "You and Kyo haven't been shopping so it's a little tough to decide what to get you guys."

Yuki waved his hands, "Oh no, please Miss Kojima. You've bought so much for everyone already. Don't worry about me."

Standing up I placed my hands on my hips sternly, "Now, Yuki, how fair would that be if I bought something for everyone and not for you?"

Yuki chuckled uneasily, "Well when you put it like that…"

Looking back at the shops I cringed at the size of the crowd, "Looks like you can't do much shopping yourself." I turned my faced back to him, "Is there anything you want me to grab for you?"

He shook his head, "No one really gave me an idea of what to buy. I wanted to give something to my peers in student council to thank them for all the work they've done helping me…but they other than Kimi the others wouldn't tell me what they wanted."

"You could always give them something you like." I suggested.

He crossed his arms in thought, "Hmm…maybe…by the way have you seen Tohru?"

I shook my head. Ever since we came to the district we've all kind of separated. That was bad since we all know Tohru can't be left alone. She always finds herself in weird situations when she's left alone. "Kyo's missing too…" I noticed that he's been sneaking off a lot since we've got here. "He can't go into the shops so he might be somewhere secluded…"

"…"

When he didn't say anything I looked at him to see why he was so silent. He was looking further down the road where there were benches lined up for people to rest. Standing near those benches were Tohru and Kyo…together…holding hands…blushing and smiling…what the hell?

"That's…okay…right?" I wondered why I felt such a pain in my chest seeing those two so close together like that. I shouldn't be jealous like this. It's silly for me to feel like this.

"…" Yuki turned away from them and faced me with a forced smile, "Is there any more shopping that you want to do? There's still time before we all have to make the trip back to the hotel."

_So this was bothering Yuki too. We shouldn't be worried about Tohru's feelings swaying from Yuki because she would never intentionally do that. She doesn't have it in her to do something like that. But looking at them now…she may not know that she's doing it unintentionally…but it's not her fault…I never told her about my growing feelings for Kyo. We've all been friends from the start…We've all hung out together…and sometimes we've hung out apart from each other…so I shouldn't be jealous of her hanging out with Kyo…so why won't this pain in my chest go away?_

-0-0-

Next day…

"Okay, look this way!" Uo held the camera up to her eye and took a cute picture of Yuki and Tohru feeding a deer. "Nice pose!"

Before we make our way back home to Tokyo the class gets to spend a few hours at Nara park and take one more tour around a historical/shopping district. Yuki was just telling us the morning he just had and it was kind of funny. All the boys didn't know how to react to Yuki not being able to wake up in the morning and the Vice President had to snap him out of his morning stupor. I'm sure the guys got a kick out of seeing a different side to Yuki.

"So what did the Vice President do after that?" I asked him, feeding a nearby deer animal feed.

Yuki sighed tiredly just thinking about it, "He just yelled some nonsense as usual. But it's fine. I don't care. He reminds me of my older brother so worrying about him is a waste of my time."

I let out a small laugh, "Oh come on, he sounds like a funny guy."

Yuki crossed his arms, "He's annoying."

Before we could continue further a classmate came to us and told us that everyone was heading for the buses now. Apparently our final stop is Kasuga-taisha. I think we spent most of our time on the long train rides and shopping. I learned more out of the tour guide manual than the actual tours. Because of how historical most of the temples and shrines were we are only allowed to go to certain places and see certain things. Maybe next time I will come back to these places and that more time to appreciate the things they have to offer.

-0-0-

"So have you figured out what you wanted to buy?" I asked Yuki. The buses will be pulling off in one hour so everyone was struggling to buy last minute souvenirs. While helping Yuki shop, I found something for him and Kyo. I was worried I was going to leave Kyoto without buying them a souvenir but thankfully I found something.

"No," Yuki placed what he picked up back down on its stack, "I don't think I'll ever find something that will suit them."

"It doesn't have to be perfect you know." I told him looking through the keychains and accessories. He only hummed in reply while looking through the bin as well.

"Yuuuun-yuuuun! Hey!" Someone shouted. I looked up wondering who 'Yun-yun' could be. "Were you able to wake up this morning!? Hey!" I looked around in confusion. Yuki continued to look through the bins undisturbed but I could see a faint look of annoyance on his face. "Don't ignore me when I'm talking to you! Yun-yun! Leader!"

Yuki turned around crossed is arms, "Must you be so rowdy?" He asks the boy with short dark brown hair and brown eyes.

The boy walks over to us with hands full of shopping bags, "What's the point in going on a trip if you can't be loud?" He places the bags on the ground to give his hands a break. "Buying all these souvenirs is killing me!" He laughs, "And don't underestimate the price of shipping!"

"You have bought a lot." Yuki comments watching the boy walk over to the shipping station to fill out the forms to have his souvenirs shipped to Tokyo. "What are you planning on doing with all of that?"

"Distributing them! At work and in my neighborhood, you know." How nice of him.

Yuki placed a hand on his hip in thought, "I wonder if I really should get Machi and Nao something. I've been looking for a while but haven't found anything suitable."

"Why should you?" The boy questions handing the slips to the lady and placed his bags on the counter, "They said they didn't want anything." He waved his pen at Yuki, "You shouldn't overindulge children by buying stuff for them all the time! Stop spoiling them! This is my child-rearing policy!"

"Child-rearing?" Yuki and I said in confusion. Now I see why Yuki gets so annoyed with this guy. His mannerism and way of speaking is almost just like Ayame.

"Anyway, do you mind if we take a walk?" The boy asks him before turning to me, "You can come too! I wouldn't dare separate Yun-yun from his friend."

Yuki and I looked at each other and shrugged. Everyone else scattered so we were basically hanging out with each other. I would like to get to know this guy more. I only know that he's the student council vice-president and another bane of Yuki's existence.

-0-

"So what's your name?"

I blinked at his bluntness, "Um…I'm Zakura Kojima. Nice to meet you." I bowed my head slightly.

He saluted to me, "I'm second in command of the school defense force! The black ranger Kakeru Manabe!"

"Uh…" Was my only capable response. No wonder Yuki always seems so stressed.

"So Zakura, you know Miss. Honda right?" Kakeru asks me out of nowhere.

"Yes. I do." I answered him, "I've known her since child-" Yuki held is hand up over my mouth.

"Aren't you unusually interested in Miss. Honda?" Yuki glared accusingly at Kakeru, "Lately you've been asking me about her a lot. Why are you so interested?"

Kakeru nonchalantly placed his hands in his pockets, "What if I was? What if I do like her?"

I looked back and forth between the two uncomfortably. Maybe I should've stayed in the shops. Should I comment that Tohru and Yuki are dating and Kakeru's will most likely end up dead if he tries anything.  
>"Then you should know that I won't hold back if you're pursuing her for laughs or to tease her or to use her for your own selfish games…" His lavender eyes glowed with hate as he glowers at Kakeru, "…then I will act selfishly as well. If you hurt her…I won't forgive you…ever…"<p>

Kakeru placed his hands on his hips, chuckling, "So what…? If I was that kind of guy how would you not forgive me?" This guy is really brave standing up to Yuki when he's in his mode.

Yuki turned his back to him, "I won't ever speak to you again."

I nearly fell over. 'Come on, Yuki! You can come up with better threats than that!' Yuki soon blushed with embarrassment when he realized what he just said._ 'Yeah! You sounded like a four year old! Try and live that one down!'_

"How could you?!" Kakeru fumed waving his arms about madly, "Don't say you'll never speak to me again! You inconsiderate fool! We haven't even had a hot discussion about the quality of erotic videos yet!"

"What?!" I screamed, a blush working its way to my cheeks, "Don't say stuff like that out loud! Yuki isn't that kind of guy to watch those sort of things!"

"Then he's not a real man!"

"What, what?" A perky girl with black hair and eyes skipped merrily to us, "Are you having a naughty conversation? Ooo-h! Let Kimi join!" Oh yeah, Yuki told me about her too. She, too, makes him exhausted just by her energy alone.

"Yun-yun says if I don't show him my treasured porno tapes he won't ever talk to me again!"

Yuki blushed, "I never said that!"

"How can you have videos like that?!" I yelled at Kakeru, "You're not even 18!"

Kakeru placed his hands on his hips, "I know a guy and that's all you need to know."

Kimi touched her chest, "If there's anything you want to see, Kimi doesn't mind showing it to you, Yun-yun."

Funny enough Yuki paled at the thought, "No…Please stop with the subject."

"What about me?" Kakeru asks her.

Kimi promptly turned away without missing a beat, "Nope! You live for your girlfriend, don't you!"

'Great, just great. Even a guy like him has a girlfriend! I bet Kimi has a boyfriend too!' I slumped in defeat, '_Everyone has a love life going on! What about me?!'_

"You have a girlfriend?" Yuki asks just as surprised as me, "Someone actually can put up with you?"

"Yep!" He winked, "She's awfully cute! I really love her!"

I slumped in defeat. _'I want a guy to tell me I'm cute and that he loves me!'_

"Anyway, the reason I'm asking about Miss. Honda isn't a bad one. I'm curious for a different reason."

"…"

"…"

Kakeru pouted when Yuki stopped responding , "Are you not talking to me?"

"Nevermind that!" Yuki snapped.

Kimi tilted her head cutely, "Kimi has no idea what's going on but…" She raised her hand high in the air, "…Kimi thinks that a man who makes it a point to watch porn even though he has a girlfriend can't be trusted! I think he's cheating on her with his eyes and heart!"

Kakeru raised his hand as well, straight faced, "I think that a woman who goes around always hitting on men who have girlfriends can't be trusted! She'll lead the man to ruin!"

"That's not Kimi's fault!" She whined, "It's their own responsibility!"

Yuki quirked an eyebrow, "I think you share the responsibility."

"Eeeh?" She gasped confused, "Isn't it just that they don't have enough love?"

"Yuki's right." I agreed, "They should share the responsibility."

_I want to look back on the memories and be able to smile through them all…even the painful ones…Life is too short to hold on to negative feelings…you never know what the present or tomorrow will bring. Be happy…make someone else happy…so that when you die…or someone close to you goes away you won't feel any regret because of the happy times you've experience. I'll treasure all these irretrievable moments very close to my heart…_

-0-0-

Back at home…

"So you and Hatori got your gifts right?" I sat on the floor in the hall cradling the phone to my ear while sketching new costumes for work.

"Yes we did!" Hanabi chirped through the phone, "Hatori and I love our gifts. You didn't have to go through the trouble, you know."

"I thought it would be rude of me not to." I replied, "So how are you and Hatori doing?"

Hanabi let out a small sigh over the receiver, "Oh, that man is going to give me grey hairs if I don't have them already. He's been overworking himself so much at that main house lately. He hasn't been able to stay at the book store for more than half an hour and each time he looks more tired than the last visit."

I pursed my lip in concern, "Did he tell you what's wrong?" Poor Hatori.

"No." Her voice shook with worry, "He hasn't told me much other than the head of the family demanding much of his time. I shouldn't sound so needy since he told me from the start that his profession takes up most of his time, but I can't help but worried how tired he looks."

"It must not be easy being a doctor to a patient who's always sick." I commented. I do hope Hatori is ok. He's been burdened with so much. I wish he could take it easy.

"Yo." Kyo poked his head in the hall from the living room, "We're ordering out okay?" He said, not at all worried that he might've been interrupting an important conversation.

"Sure." I replied back and he went on his way. Turning my attention back to the phone I spoke again, "Anyway, don't worry Hanabi, I'm sure he'll catch up with you in no time."

"I do hope so. I didn't want to say anything but…"

I blinked, "What wrong?"

"…" She was silent and I wondered briefly if she hung up, "…for a silly second I was worried that Hatori had lost interest in a woman like me."

"Hanabi!" I scolded, "You know that's not true at all! You shouldn't think things like that!"

"I know!" She replied hastily, "But…Hatori never…really held me…" She admitted sadly, "When we read books together he always keeps a small distance from me. I shouldn't feel this way because when we go on walks or have lunch we hold hands but…"

_'He can't hold you or else he'll transform.'_ I wanted to say but if he truly never hugged her then that must mean he never told her the secret. '_He doesn't want Kana to happen all over again.'_

"Please have faith in him, Hanabi." I pleaded quietly, "I know Hatori cares for you."

"I know he does, dear." She assured me, "I guess…I'm getting a little selfish for attention I've never received before. Love makes you think and do crazy things."

I let out a small laugh, '_Don't I know it.'_

"Well, I better put dinner on." She said, "I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Hm." I folded up my sketch book, "I'll talk to you soon. Take care."

"Bye. Sweetie."

"Bye." I hung up the phone and placed my sketch book to the side. '_Love does make you think and do crazy things.' _I walked into the living room to see Tohru handing everyone their take outs. '_We do and think crazy things because we don't want to lose our precious people.' _I took my spot in between Yuki and Shigure waiting for my takeout to be handed to me. _'I'll do whatever it takes to keep these precious people close to_ me.'


	28. The horse! Show time for class 2-D

Double update! Never happened before and most likely never again! I wanted to make up for my lack of updating.

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><p>OnceUponAnAubi<p>

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**I forever thank you all for your everlasting support and kind words. Give yourselves a pat on the back. Right now. Because you deserve it. Do it. I'd give you one but due to laws of physics I cannot.**

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><p><strong>c) Natsuki Takaya<strong>

_I was so happy when you smiled_

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_

* * *

><p><em> 'I don't like this…'<em> I stared sadly at the sleeping dark haired girl sleeping in Tohru's bed. Her long black hair sprawled out on her pillow as she slept peacefully. According to the others she has in hysterics when she came to Shigure's house. For what? They didn't tell me but when they told me her name is Rin I had to see her. Hatori told me that she was sick but I didn't think she would be this pale looking. 'This poor girl…' I lightly touched her forehead to check for a fever and was surprised to see tears coming from her closed eyes. I grabbed a tissue off the nightstand and gently wiped her eyes.

She must've felt it because she slowly opened her eyes, "Mom?"

Pulling my hand back I smiled gently, trying to diffuse the fear in her eyes, "Rin? How are you feeling?"

She sat up abruptly, throwing the blankets off her, "…!"

I held her back by the shoulders, "Relax! Don't sit up so fast." Thankfully she didn't resist, "You were passed out in front of the house." I told her before standing up to leave the room, "I'll go get Hatori." I padded out the door and quietly closed the door behind me. Looking down the hall I saw everyone standing there with worried looks. "She's awake." I simply told them.

Hatori picked up his medical bag and stepped into the room with Shigure. I opened my mouth to say something and the next thing that I knew I heard screaming. They have only been in there no more than a minute and hell already broke loose in there.

Tohru burst into the room first and nearly screamed, "Oh no!"

"What?!" Yuki, Kyo, and I ran up behind her to see Rin making a break for the window! Lyn never mentioned that Rin was suicidal! "Rin get back in here!" It took just about everyone to drag her back into the room and settled down enough for Hatori to give her a quick check up. Thankfully by the time he finished Rin was out cold again. Kyo went back to his room mumbling how it was a bother to have yet another Sohma staying over. Yuki went to shower and Tohru went with Shigure to walk Hatori to the door. I stayed in the room to keep an eye on Rin just in case she woke up again.

'I wonder why she came here…' I sat next to the bed and leaned against it, 'Lyn told me that Rin is trying to break the curse too. Did she come here to ask Shigure about it?'

The bedroom door opened softly and Yuki poked his head in. I nodded to him that it was ok to come in and when he did he set a try of food down on the floor. The sweet smell of curry filled my nose and I immediately dug into my plate.

"You're not going to eat?" Yuki asked the sleeping girl in the bed.

"…"

Swallowing a mouth full I looked at him, "She's sleeping, Yuki."

Surprisingly the girl spoke quietly in a mature voice, "If you call Lyn or Haru…I won't forgive you."

I winced around my fork, nearly choking. I had already called Lyn earlier when I first heard Rin was here.

"They told me that they'll take care of things on their own." Yuki told her, thankfully covering for me, "But Rin, you shouldn't shoulder this burden alone. Lyn and Haru are your best friends…they care about you very much." Touching her shoulder once he stood up and padded out the room, closing the door softly behind him.

"…"

"…" well this wasn't awkward at all.

"…Why…?" Rin turned over in Tohru's bed pulling the blanket up to her eyes, "…what's so special about that girl?"

"You mean Tohru?" I asked her.

"I asked Haru… what's so special about her…what did she do…to put light back in their eyes…?" She shifted in the blankets again, "…he said there's nothing really special…that if I see her…then I would know…"

"Hm…" I hummed trying to think of a response, "By them… do you mean the other Sohma's? Like Momiji and Kisa?" I saw her nod, "Well…the only thing I can say about Tohru is that she knows exactly what to say. Sure, she's clumsy and can't walk one block with tripping over nothing and nearly taking two other people with her…but she's got a good heart. She's got this bright aura around her that draws everyone in and when she's smiles the world seems like a better place. She'll hold your hand and make you feel like you're not alone in the world…even though you've never met her before in your life she has a way of making you think she's been there the entire time giving you words of encouragement and strength." My shoulders sagged tiredly, "She also has the maternal aura around her as well that makes everyone flock to her. All she has to do is smile and say nice things and she's everyone's best friend-"

*Knock knock*

The door opened softly and Tohru poked her head in with a smile, "I'm coming in." She announced walking in with a floral thermos in her hand, "How are you feeling?" She asks Rin while setting the thermos next to Rin's plate of untouched food. "I brought you some water." When Rin didn't answer Tohru began to lose her confidence, "Um…I'll be sleeping downstairs so if you need anything don't hesitate to ask me or Zakura."

Rin cradled her forehead as if ease an oncoming headache, "Stop it." She hissed drawing our attention. She glares at Tohru, "You're trying to break the curse. Stop it. You went to Kazuma and spoke to Kureno didn't you."

I looked at Tohru in confusion. When did she do all that? Especially talking to Kureno? According to Lyn Kureno is very elusive, hardly anyone ever sees him because of Akito.

"What are you trying to do? Do you look down on us? Think we can't help ourselves? Do you pity us?" She lashed with her words, her eyes hardening, "Don't bother! We never asked for your sympathy!"

Like always angry words never seem to deter Tohru much. I guess years of experience with Kyo built up immunity, "Is it that…you're trying to break the curse?" Tohru asks quietly.

"That's none of your business!" Rin snapped.

"Rin-!" Tohru stepped closer to touch her.

Rin pushed her away, "Shut up!"

"Do you know a way to break the curse?" Tohru insisted desperately.

"I told you to shut up! We don't need your help!"

I grabbed Tohru's arm to pull her away but she surprisingly fought against me to get closer to Rin. "I'm sorry but no!" Tohru apologized to Rin, "I can't stay out of it!"

"Tohru!" I shouted firmly trying to pull her back when Rin grabbed Tohru by her sweater. I was worried she was going to choke her. "That's enough!"

"No!" Tohru cried shaking her head vigorously, "Just as Rin has things she can't give up- so do I! Please Rin! There has to be-!"

"There isn't!" Rin shouted roughly releasing Tohru's sweater, "There isn't, okay!" Tears streamed down her face, "No one knows how! I-I-!" She choked with tears, "I don't know what to do…" She cried into her hands. "I don't know what to do…"

"I know what to do." I whispered letting go of Tohru to sit next to Rin, "For starters…" I wrapped my arms around her, giving her all the comfort she needed, "You're going to eat something and you're going to get some rest." I rubbed her back soothingly as she clung to me, "Then after that we'll work together to figure out this curse."

Rin shook her head against my shoulder, "There isn't a way…"

I patted her back, "There will be if we work together. You, me, Tohru, and Lyn. Like Yuki said…you don't have to shoulder everything alone. With all of us working together towards something I'm sure we can figure something out."

"But what?" She mumbles.

I looked up at the ceiling in thought, "I haven't thought that far ahead." I admitted, "But if Tohru spoke to Kazuma and Kureno and learned nothing I'm sure there's something at the main house, right? Sohma history or records?"

"Not the main house…" Rin said pulling away from me, "…there might be something somewhere deeper…somewhere even I can't get to…"

"Akito?" Tohru guessed.

It was probably as we feared. If anyone could know the answer it would be the head of the family. And there's no way that cold hearted bastard would tell us anything. Looks like we're stuck… we'll have to come up with something else for now.

-0-

The next morning before we left for school Hatori came for Rin to take her to the hospital. She went without a fight this time much to everyone's surprise. Hatori promised to keep us posted and between us girls we promised to keep our little mission to break the curse a secret. (Though I'm not sure if it's much of a secret with all the yelling we did last night.)

"Yeah…It was kinda intense…" Haru mumbled scratching the back of his head. Yuki and I met up with him during recess to give him an update, "When Lyn and I went to see her she started waving her I.V around yelling at us to get out."

"Eehhh?!"

"We were told that we were bad for the patient's health and had to cut our visit short."

"But she's okay, right?" I asked him.

He nodded, "For the most part. Her body is a wreck so a good few days of resting in the hospital will do her some good." He had that weird far-off look in his eyes, "I'm just relieved her spirits are up. Lyn has been worried about her."

Yuki ignored Haru's weird look, "I guess for the time being we'll just pray for her to stay there and get better. I'll try to visit her sometime after school."

"Me too." I agreed.

Haru perked an eyebrow at us, "Even if she swings the I.V at you? She's got a good arm, you know."

Yuki sweat drops, "It's probably better than having the bed swung at me-"

*Ding~ Dong~* We looked up at the ceiling when the P.A system rang through the speakers, "Yun-tuuuuuunnnn!" Uh-oh, someone let Kimi near the P.A system, "My beloved president Yun-yuun! The meeting is about to staaart, so please hurry to Kimi, okaaaay!" Yuki flushed with embarrassment as students stared at him, "Oh no! My mistake! I meant 'Hurry to the council room!' Kimi made a boo-boo! Sorry Yun-yun! But Kimi will be waiting for you! So please hurry here!" *Chkz*

'Kimi is amazing!' I couldn't help but laugh. "I hope Tohru doesn't hear that and get jealous."

Yuki paled even more, "I hope n-not…I can't believe she used the P.A system."

Haru smirked, "I didn't know that kind of girl was your type, Yun-yun."

"Don't call me Yun-yun!" Yuki snapped, flustered, "And she's not my type!"

"AAhhh!" A manly squeaked came from behind us. We turned to see Kakeru skipping towards us, "I found you Yun-yun! Hurry to Kakeru! Oopsie! Did I make a boo-boo?"

Yuki groaned in frustration, "Look you! If you can find me that easily don't use the P.A like that!"

"It wasn't easy!" Kakeru defended, "We had to look pretty hard to find you. You don't have a cell phone, Yun-yun. So we had to use the P.A, understand?"

That didn't soothe his frustration, "Why are you looking for me so early anyway? When it's time to go, I'll go!" Despite not being a morning person Yuki does have a sense of punctuality.

"Oh come on! I'm not the one who used the P.A system! Even though it was funny!"

"There you go again making me the bad guy!"

Haru and I shared an amused look. This student council things has loosen Yuki up a lot. He only ever yells like this at Kyo and Haru. It was nice to see him so comfortable with other people now.

Haru bowed his head to Kakeru, "I bid you, please take care of my little Yuki."

Kakeru blinked once before adding seriously, "Yes! I promise to make your daughter happy!" Wow, they've only known each other for a few moments and they already know who to exchange weird conversation with each other.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Yuki snapped annoyed.

Haru patted Yuki's shoulder, "Now Yuki…you have a meeting to run, don't you? You should be going."

"But…we weren't done talking."

Haru shook his head and started walking back to class, "Good luck…to all of us."

We watched him leave. Sometimes Haru is wiser than he lets on.

"That guy's a Sohma, right?" Kakeru asks, "Does good looks run in the family or something?"

"Or something." I answered as we all started walking. I didn't have anywhere to be right away so I wanted to walk with them, "I bet they wake up beautiful." People still don't know that Tohru and I live with the Sohma's.

"Must be good genes." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and started texting.

This caught Yuki's interest, "Is a cell phone really that useful?" He turns to me, "I hardly see you use yours."

Kakeru showed Yuki his phone, "You bet your ass it's useful! You should get one! One with a camera so you can send me stupid pictures!"

"It is handy to have one." I agreed, "I'm surprised you and Kyo don't have one. What if there was an emergency? How will I be able to contact you guys?"

"You need a parent to sign the contract, right." He sighed. Oh yeah. Him and his parents aren't on the best of terms.

"You're not great with your parents?" Kakeru asks.

"More like…" Yuki tries to find the right words, "…we push all of each other's wrong buttons…"

Kakeru's eyes widen, "I know how that is! I know exactly how that is!"

I crossed my arms as we neared the student council room, "Seems we all have parental problems." We reached the council door, "Well, I'll see you all later."

"Hold on." Kakeru held up his phone, "Until Yuki get his phone, can we exchange numbers? As Vice-president and black ranger I must always know the condition of our leader!"

"So why my number?" I asked, pulling out my phone anyway.

"You two are usually so close together during school." He replied taking my phone while handing me his. We did a quick exchange of numbers before handing our phones back. "Be sure to send me weird pictures of him."

Laughing I gave him a salute before turning to leave.

_I'm glad Yuki's having fun with student council…. he's come such a long way since we've met. Before he would only talk to Tohru and the others…now that he's joined student council he's circle of friends has branched out and he's more comfortable talking to other people. Before would just ignore everyone and put on a mask, now he doesn't and I think it's thanks to Kakeru. Maybe I should text him a thanks later._

-0-0-

Later that night after dinner…

"Dinner was delicious, Tohru!" Shigure handed me his plate as I collected the dishes, "And Zakura the tea was delightful!"

"Thanks Shigure." I collected Yuki and Kyo's dishes as well before padding into the kitchen just as Tohru came out with more.

"Would anyone like gelatin for dessert?" Everyone raised her hand and she began passing them out listing the flavors that she made, "By the way, Yuki, the cultural festival this year…I've heard that there was going to be a campfire and fireworks this year, is that true?"

I returned from the kitchen and rejoined them at the table, "Can the school afford that after that long trip to Kyoto? Plus other classes have to go on their school trips as well…"

Yuki shook his head, "Those are lies." He told Tohru, "And Miss Kojima is correct. We have to be more low scale for the cultural festival…campfires and fireworks are impossible."

"Impossible?" Shigure echoes, "Aaya once lite the entire school with spot lights!"

"That sounds like something he would do…"

"Can you not use brother as an example?"

"That sounds so romantic!"

"The electric bill…"

Shigure frowned at Kyo, "To be romantic you have to spend a little money!"

"Oh really?" Kyo asked sarcastically, "I had no idea."

"Anyway, it's time for the cultural festival already?" Shigure asks Yuki.

"Hm…" He sighed tiredly, "…its a few days off and there's still so much to prepare." He rubbed his head, "Good luck, president~!" Shigure sang only to annoy Yuki even more.

I took my bowl of jello and hummed in delight when I tasted cherry flavor, "This is delicious."

Tohru smiled, "Rin thought so too!"

Everyone perked an eyebrow at her. When she realized what she said she gasped and you can soon tell by the look on her face that she was freaking out in her head.

"So…you went to see Rin?" Kyo asks her snapping her out of it.

"Umm…" She flushed embarrassingly, "Yes…"

"Rin didn't swing her I.V at you did she?" Yuki asked interrupting there goo-goo eye session. I guess I'm not the only one concern they're staring at each other a little more recently lately.

"N-no she didn't!"

"Why would she do that?"

_I'm glad Rin's doing a little better…I should visit her too…it wouldn't be right for me to encourage that we all work together and I don't make an attempt to visit her…hopefully she won't swung her I.V at me…_

-0-0-

"Oh, dear…" The receptionist sighed looking at her computer, "She can't have visitors at this time due to her examinations."

"Do you know how long it'll take?" I asked her.

"These examinations take time-"

Thankfully a nearby nurse came by, apparently overhearing our conversation, "Her examinations are over now and it's okay to let girls see her. She's in room 132."

I bowed to the nurse and thanked her before walking down the hall in search for room 132. It took some time (after getting lost four times) but I found her room. I knocked three times before quietly letting myself in. "Rin?"

Rin turned around her bed, dressed in all black as usual. Her and Hana would get along very well. "Now you're visiting me?"

I chuckled nervously, "I can leave of you want me too..." I didn't want her swinging the I.V at me.

She let out a sigh, "No it's fine…I wanted to talk to you anyway. About the curse..."

I nodded and pulled up a chair to sit near the bed. "I've met Akito once or twice." I told her thinking of my last encounter with him at the summer house, "He told me there's no way to break the curse…that he's God and that everyone in the Zodiac will love and die by his side forever in a never ending banquet…unchanging…"

"Just like the story." Rin said softly, "The Zodiac sprits have a 'bond' with God…some sort of promise; I'm sure, to be together for eternity." She leaned back against her pillows staring out the window, "Unchanging…forever…even reborn several times they would go to be by his side and never leave…always together…" She shook her head, "It's nothing but a shackle. That's why it's a curse. I wonder if there really is a way. I thought someone close to Akito would know so I asked Shigure but he doesn't know anything."

"Lyn told me that Shigure may be hiding something even if he doesn't show it." I told her. "And according to Tohru even Kureno doesn't know anything…but I doubt he would've told her anyway."

She nodded, "He does whatever Akito says. I don't consider him one of us."

I crossed my arms in thought, "Akito has to know something…otherwise he wouldn't fight so hard to keep this bond so close to his heart. It's good wanting to have family close together…but for it to be forever unchanging…? To make people miserable so it remains that way…?"

Rin didn't say anything for a few moments, "What's your reason for breaking the curse? Why are you and her trying so hard to help us?"

_'Why do I want to break the curse? The answer is so obvious.' _I looked down at my hands folded on my lap."They helped us…" I looked up to see confusion in her eyes. "Two years ago Tohru lost her mom in a car accident…after that we lived in a tent in the woods and unknown to us it was Sohma property. One thing led to another and we ended up staying at Shigure's house out of the kindness of his heart. They could've called the police but instead they invited two strange girls to live in their house. They gave us room and food…and every day they treat us with such kindness. Shigure and his perverted antics…Yuki and his soft words of wisdom…Kyo's angry disposition…Momiji's bunny energy…Kisa's sweet adorable voice and eyes…Hiro's annoying bluntness, Ritsu's awkwardness, Kagura's passion, Hatori and Kazuma's fatherly nature, Ayame's exuberance, Haru's bi-polarness…every single Sohma has helped me in some way and I want to return the favor."

"I see…I do it for me and for Lyn and Haru…they don't deserve to be shackled…"

I shook my head, "None of you do…I guess we're a bit stuck for now…but that shouldn't stop us right?" I smiled cheerily at her, "Together we'll figure this out! Girl power right!?"

She glowered at me, "Don't ever say that again."

I laughed rubbing the back of my head, "Yeah, that was pretty stupid…"

_Always together…never changing…once upon a time did I wish for that too when I was young? With dad and mom…when times were happier…did I want things to remain the same? Yes…even sometimes I wish I could go back and do something different so that I could have my dad with me here and now…but if that were to happen then I would've never met the Sohma's and Tohru…would I be happy then? Would I be happy knowing that I would have my dad and have never met any of the Sohma's? I don't know…I guess I'll keep thoughts like that under a tight lid and keep it hidden from everyone…_

-0-0-

"Alright everyone! The votes are in!" The class representative held two little square boxes in her hands. She placed one down and dug her hand in one. When she pulled her hand out she held a small piece of paper, "Okay, for the cultural festival our class will…" she read the paper and smiled, "…be performing Cinderella!"

A few students cheered and others groaned. Uo was one of them. Cinderella wasn't really her style and I'm sure the other guys agreed. They wanted to do more manly and awesome shows but sadly they're over ruled by the girls in the class.

"Aw, I wanted Beauty and the Beast to be picked!"

"I wanted to do Anastasia!"

"I wanted Thumbelina!"

"Or the Little Mermaid!"

"Mulan!"

"Or Snow White!"

"Sleeping Beauty!"

I rested my chin in the palm of my hand, "Why are we doing a romantic play anyway? Kind of cliché if you ask me."

"I wanted to do a historic play." Uo groaned while Hana did her hair, "Not some lame-ass play about a pauper and a prince."

And speaking of Prince Yuki came bursting in the room apologizing for being late. The representative assured him that it was alright and that he could do the drawing for the casts. She drew the slips one at a time and handed them to Yuki for him to write on the board…as the list went on all of our jaws basically dropped. This is going to be one hell of a disaster…

"I want a recount!" Kyo shouted banging his fist on his desk.

"No take backs!" Yuki shouted back.

I'm a little surprised Yuki doesn't want his role switched…he's playing the Fairy Godmother.

"What's wrong with it, Prince Kyo?" One of the guys teased.

"You'll look great in a crown, Prince Kyo!"

"Oh yes! Prince Kyo!" This sent Kyo's fans buzzing with excitement much to his displeasure.

Uo laughed heartedly, "We'll all get a good laugh out of it! I can just imagine you in tights!"

Tohru clapped her hands and smiled at Kyo, happy on his behalf, "That's amazing, Kyo! You're part of the main cast! How thrilling! I'm sure your master will be happy!"

Kyo paled at the thought, "Please don't tell him!" That would be a major blow to his pride. "Look you guys! This cast is all wrong! It's already screwed up just by having the psychic as the main character!"

Hana smiled deviously at Kyo, her dark purple energy swirling around her, "Please treat me gently…Prince Kyo…"

The room instantly went cold. The first ever wicked Cinderella. Her dress will most likely be all black.

Yuki approached Tohru, "Tohru…are you sure you can play the evil step-sister?"

Oooh that might be a hard role for a gentle girl like Tohru. "This play is just full of reversed roles."

Tohru pumped her arms enthusiastically, "Don't worry about me! I will show cruelty as deep as the ocean!" Funny the vibrant look on her face tells otherwise. She'll never pull it off.

"What about you?" Kyo turns to me, "You don't even have a role."

Looking at the board I see that my name wasn't on the board. I'm not too upset about it. At least I won't have to embarrass myself in front of people on stage. "That's okay. Less work for me to do."

"I'm sure we can find some way for you to be involved." Tohru assured me grabbing my hands, "You can make the costumes!"

I smiled hesitantly, "Um…I guess…I think…maybe?" I'm honestly not too upset about it. Not everyone had a part in this place.

The class representative approached us with the scripts, "Here are your lines." She handed the scripts to Yuki, Tohru, Hana, Kyo, and Uo. "Please learn them soon."

This is going to end badly…and hilariously.

-0-0-

"W-what should I do?" Tohru slumped on the kitchen floor with the Cinderella script in her hands, "I have a ton of lines to remember…what if I forget them and ruin the whole play?"

"You're doing a play? Which one?" Shigure slouched in front of her and took the script out of her hand, "Oh! Cinderella? And Kyo's the Prince? That I pay money to see! Where'd I leave that camcorder?"

Kyo stormed into the kitchen and snatched the script out of Shigure's hands, "Don't read this crap around him! He doesn't need to know!"

"Too late, he knows." I told him getting things out for dinner, "And so do Kazuma, Hatori, and Ayame."

"Who told them about it!?"

I kept my back to them focusing on getting dinner together, "Haru and Momiji of course. So suck it up, read your lines and put on a performance."

Kyo tossed the script on the counter, "Easy for you to say! You don't have any lines!"

"Will you just man up! You're going to be a prince!"

"I don't want to be the prince! Make Yuki be the prince!"

I placed the pots and pans on the stove, "Oh and what? You'll be the Fairy Godmother?"

"And how old are we turning this year?" Yuki asked sarcastically walking into the kitchen with his arms crossed. "For once I would like to walk around the house without you or Shigure flirting with the girls."

"Welcome home, Yuki!" Tohru and I chimed.

"Thanks." He said taking off his back pack, "How are you memorizing your lines?" He asked Tohru.

That sent her into a spiraling mess again and Kyo into another rant how he doesn't want to be the prince and that the play was a complete waste of time. With all this complaining and panicking of lines going on dinner was not going to get done.

-0-0-

"Cinderella! The royal ball is tomorrow!" Minami yelled, "Hurry up and make the dresses!" She faked a troubled sigh and turned to Tohru, "She's such a simpleton! Wouldn't you agree, dear?"

"Y-yes!" She stuttered frantically looking at her lines, "If you don't hurry and finish…you most certainly….get…get any…" Tears streamed down her face as she lowered her head to Hana, "…dinner."

"For goodness sakes stop crying!" Minami screamed, frustrated. Understandably since we've been at this for three hours and made very little progress.

Hana hugged Tohru, "I'm very happy. You're crying for me, aren't you?" Cause we all know that Tohru can never be mean to her friends.

"And no hugging!" Minami screamed, crushing her script in her hand, "You're the wicked step-sister! You're supposed to be mean! Get it right! Crush her self-esteem into little tiny pieces!" Easy for her to say, she does it for a living.

"You're very passionate about this, Miss. Kinoshita." Yuki compliment with a fake smile, "I'm impressed."

She gasped horrifically, "Nooo! Please don't look at me Prince Yuki!" She went to wallow in the corner crying about Yuki seeing an ugly side of her.

"Are you alright down there?" Yuki asks the girls on the floor.

Tohru answered through her tears while Hana simply said that they were fine. This whole casting thing was a disaster since everyone had to play their as their natural opposite. Nice Tohru being mean, Hana being…the opposite of Hana, and brooding Kyo being princely and nice. This really won't end well.

"Dry your tears, my little lambs!" Ayame strutted into the classroom with roses and sparkles provided my Mine. Oh yeah, after hearing about the play Ayame took it upon himself to design the costumes. "I have arrived!" He clapped his hands, "Time is money boys and girls! Form a crisp line and tell me the costume of your dreams as well as your measurements!"

"Wow, brother really came." Yuki said, causing everyone to gasp in shock that he has an older brother. Yuki approached his brother, "How did you get in here without permission?"

Ayame placed his hand under Yuki's chin while gazing lovingly into his eyes, "Come now brother, I can easily break down any barrier that obstructs the path of us being loving brothers." This sent the girls into a hormonal tizzy. We got brotherly love fans around here, go figure.

"You'll get caught." Yuki replied dead-panned.

Mine held up a slip of paper that had 'It's all good' in bold, "Don't worry! We got permission thanks to Zakura!" She skipped over to me holding my hands, "Oh dear! I just can never get over how you look in your school uniform! It really takes me back."

"Thanks for coming on such short notice." I thanked her, "I love your new maid outfit!"

"Thank you! I just had to wear it today!" She gushed.

Ayame clapped his hands again, "Now, now, let us begin! Mine! Zakura!"

We saluted, "Yes, Manager!" We whipped out our measuring tapes and started taking measurements of the students.

Ayame pulled his out as well and approached his brother, "Now Yuki submit to my measurements! I shall make you into the most handsome slender Prince Charming this school has ever seen!"

Yuki held up his hand to stop him, "I'm not playing the Prince, brother." He points to Kyo who was trying to sneak out the door, "You're looking for the guy half way out the door."

"…"

"…"

Ayame let out an amused chuckle, "Lucky Kyo is your Price? I see…" He let his measuring tape slip out of his hands, "I guess there's no reason not to make him a handsome Prince as well…it could take some work…"

Tohru and I quickly introduced Mine to Uo and Hana and to our immense surprise Hana and Mine immediately hit it off when Hana asked Mine to make her dress all black. Seeing how the costumes were shaping up to be a mess as well our 'director' decided the change the play completely in order to fit the cast better. If she manages to pull that off this play might not be a complete disaster after all.

-0-0-

"Alright we'll call it a wrap for now." The 'director' announced much to everyone's relief. With the props and costumes shaping up everyone was getting more into making this play happen. The only one absent from the preparations was Kyo. This play can't happen without him. "Zakura." The director called me. "Thanks you again for making the costumes for us. I'm sorry you don't have a part in the play."

I shook my head, "Don't worry about it. Making the costumes is more fun anyway."

"And you definitely have talent. See you tomorrow."

I waved good bye to her and the other students that waved good-bye to me as well. With the classroom empty I let out a small sigh and looked at the sketch book in my hands filled with everyone's costumes. I had a lot of work ahead of me and I can't let everyone down. Everyone is working hard so I have to work hard too.

"Oh no! They're all gone!" Two girls stumbled into the room. When they saw me they ran over to me and grabbed my hands, "Oh! Please you have to help us!"

"Umm…"

"We're from class 3-B and we desperately need help! Our lead actress hurt herself while rehearsing and we need someone to fill her place."

I blinked in confusion, "Why not ask the other seniors? Why underclassmen?"

"Everyone else can't part with their positions in the cultural festival." One explained.

"But we heard that you were making the costumes for this class." The other continued, "We've heard about your amazing costumes. Surely it won't take you long to complete them…?"

I thought about it, "Well…with my manager and his assistant helping it shouldn't take long…but-"

They squeezed my hands harder, "Pleeeeeaassseee! As a favor to the seniors!"

I closed my eyes and sighed.

-0-0- Change of Pov -0-0-

Hiro and Kisa stood inside of the High school looking at the huge banner hanging across the auditorium that read, 'Class 2-D Presents: Sorta Cinderella'.

"Is that really the title?" Hiro asks. He didn't want to come along but Kisa wanted to see Tohru and Zakura perform and who was he to deny his crush?

"There you are!" Momiji exclaimed skipping through the halls with Haru trailing behind him. "We better get our seats the play is starting soon!"

"You're here too?" Hiro asks following the bouncy blonde while keeping a firm hand in Kisa's.

"Of course!" Momiji chirped waving his camcorder, "I saved us some seats in the front row! I don't want to miss any recording!"

"I can't wait to see Sissy and Big Sister!" Kisa smiled walking down the aisle behind Momiji, "I bet they'll be great."

Momiji led them to the seats and everyone got comfortable just as the lights began to dim. Momiji excitedly turned the camera on and pointed it to the stage.

**_"Once upon a time…there lived a beautiful young girl named Cinderella. Due to various circumstances she was regularly tormented by her stepmother and step sister. But since her heart was also beautiful, she lived nobly and humbly."_**

"_Cinderella!" Minami stormed across the stage with Tohru trailing quietly behind her, "Where are you Cinderella!?"_

In the audience Momiji and Kisa gasped happily seeing Tohru walk across the stage, gushing at how beautiful she looked.

"_Have you finished the dresses Cinderella? The royal ball is being held at the palace **tonight**!"_

**_The spot light illuminated on Hanajima sitting in a chair sipping tea. _**_"Here I am." She replied emotionlessly._

_"Why are you sitting there drinking tea!?" Minami screamed. Even when the script was changed Hana still refused to act how she was supposed to, "Those dresses had better be made if you're just lounging around!"_

_Hana looked at her with indifference, "You can't expect an amateur to make a decent dress." She sipped her tea, "But if you're willing to be a laughingstock, then I accept the job."_

_Minami growled with rage. That line obviously was not part of the play, "I'm going to be the bigger person and move the play along but I'll remember that!"_

**_A ball was to be held at the palace that night. Rumor had it that the Prince was using the ball to find a bride. The stepmother was eager to marry her daughter into the royal family in the hopes of attaining a life of ease and comfort._**

_Minami hooked an arm around Tohru's neck and dragged her across the stage, "If you want your precious sister back you better finish those dresses!" **Exit stage.**_

_Hana held her hands over her heart, mildly faking concern, "How terrible…my sister taken hostage because some Prince wanted a ball. I won't forgive this selfish Prince."_

**_"Cinderella seemed deeply in love with a prince she never met."_**

_Hana completely ignored the narrator, "I'll need a plan to storm the palace. Oh…but I need to finish those dresses. Hm…what shall I do?"_

**_Enter stage: Fairy Godmother. _**_"Don't worry." Dressed in a light blue robe and staff Yuki glided across the stage, "Cinderella, for someone as kind as you, I shall grant you one wish for this evening."_

_Hana stood up, "How wonderful." She folded her hands in a prayer, "Please burn the palace down."_

_"I'm afraid that's a crime." Yuki replied without missing a beat, "Please wish for something more pure."_

_"Then I wish for delicious Yakiniku."_

_Yuki sweat drops. Hana isn't following the script at all, "That's not what I meant."_

_Minami pulled the curtain from the side with Tohru still in a choke-hold, "Ah-hem!"_

_Hana sighed, "Oh, that's my mother…"_

_"Cinderella! I'm coming to check if those dresses are made!"_

**_With a trick of light two dresses appeared on stage._**

_"They're actually made?!" Minami gasped._

_"I guess…" Hana said._

_Tohru went to hold Hana's hands, "These dresses are beautiful! You're such a skilled seamstress!"_

_Hana smiled, "I'm pleased that you like my **handmade dresses** so much."_

The crowd gasped. Cinderella's a liar?!

_Minami grabbed Tohru and the dresses, "Nonetheless! We're changing and going to the ball!"_

_"B-but what about Cinderella?" Tohru stammered._

_"She'll watch the house!" Minami snapped dragging her off stage again. **Exit stage**_

_"Good work, Fairy Godmother." Hana praised._

_Yuki sighed, "I wouldn't dare mention it. Now Cinderella, make your wish."_

_Hana blinked, "Ya-"_

_Yuki clapped his hands twice, "You shall go to the ball in a pumpkin carriage!" He wanted to hurry to hurry the play along since Hana insisted on dragging it out with her shenanigans._

**_"And so strangely decided by the Fairy Godmother, Cinderella found her chance to go to the royal ball." Smoke and mirrors for a set change. "The ball was already underway by the time she arrived."_**

**_The spotlight landed on Kyo sitting on the stage floor with Uo standing over him._**

_"What are you brooding about?" Uo asks. She didn't want to do this play either. "We threw this thing for you. Now go pick a lady."_

_Kyo scowled, "Will you leave me alone already? I already said I'm not interested in anyone here."_

_Uo scoffed, "No wonder you're a virgin."_

_Kyo's face turned cherry red with embarrassment. He can't believe she said that out loud in front of hundreds of whole school and their families didn't need to know that! "Shut up! You shameless infuriating woman!"_

_"What was that?" She snapped. "  
>I'm worried about you, you stupid lug, and this is the thanks I get?!"<em>

**_They are most definitely not sticking to the script any more._**

-0-00- change of pov -0-0-

I adjusted the brown wig on my head as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. _'I can't believe I'm going through with this. Why are seniors such bullies?'_

"Zakura!" The senior who dragged me here in the first place entered the empty classroom with a make-up kit, "I'm here to do your make-up."

Turning around in my chair I face her and closed my eyes allowing her to work her magic. The sooner she gets it done the better.

"You're class is sure putting on an interesting play." She laughed putting on the foundation.

"I believe it with most of my friends as the main cast. They're quite the characters on their own."

"I'll say. Hanajima alone is turning heads in that play. I see why they call it sorta Cinderella." She started to apply blush and red lipstick. "They're almost done I think and then it'll be our turn. I don't know how we'll be able to follow such a performance."

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Like I have room to talk. I'm one of the main characters. "Um…I know I've been practicing really hard…but about the whole singing thing…"

She smiled at me and held up a peace sign with two fingers, "Don't worry! It's all taken care of!"

-0-0-

**_"After the ball the prince and his friend tried to fit the glass slipper on every girl in town deciding on the one who fits the slipper will be Cinderella. He at last came to the house of Cinderella and her family."_**

_"I'm sorry." Tohru apologized to Uo who held the slipper, "That isn't my slipper."_

_"There aren't any other ladies in the house?" Uo asks._

_Minami laughed, "Oh ho ho! No, not even a mouse."_

_Kyo crossed his arms, "Great. Let's go." He wanted to get out of this stupid play._

_"Oh wait!" Tohru stuttered. He was skipping his lines! "You haven't met Cinderella!"_

_Kyo growled and squeezes her face with his hands, "That was unnecessary information!"_

**_"Just a minute Prince Charming! That information was very necessary!" On cue Cinderella entered the scene with a plate of meat and rice._**

_"Please Prince. I understand that you want my sister's hand in marriage-"_

_"No I don't!" Kyo denied._

_"Then you want mine? That's rather nightmarish."_

_"More like hell!" Kyo snapped. He just wanted this play to be over! Why are they dragging it out?!_

_"Then tell me Prince? Why are you here?" Hana asked in a serious tone, "Do you plan to live lie the rest of your life? Locked in your castle…hurting others…deceiving yourself daily and stopping only the moment you die?"_

_Kyo frowned, "So what if I do? You can't tell me that would bother anyone."_

_Tohru gasped, "No! That would make-" She claps a hand over her mouth in shock, "Oh! I-I'm sorry! Please excuse me! Continue with the story!"_

_Yuki entered the stage again, "Sorry to interrupt, but we have to wrap this up."_

_"Ah, my servant has returned."_

_"Although I am not your servant I realize that any woman marrying this man will only end in heartbreak." Yuki states making Kyo flinch at the jab, "So I'll ask one more time. What is it that you truly wish for?"_

_Hana smiled, "I want to manage a Yakiniku shop with my sister."_

_Yuki sighed. Of course. Not once could she stick to the script. "In that case- Prince Charming will support them in their business."_

_Kyo glowers at him, "I thought you were granting their wish…"_

_Yuki looks at him, "I won't ask you what you wish for. I only hope it comes true by your own two hands."_

_Kyo was thrown off balance by Yuki's sudden words of advice. He didn't know if he was acting or not. "Wha-"_

_The crowd erupted into an uproar of applauds and cheers at Yuki's words to the Prince._

"That was beautiful!"

"Wonderful!"

"Bravo!"

**_"And so Cinderella chose a path with no Prince. And her Yakiniku shop was blessed with good business." _Glitter and confetti began to rain from the heavens. _"After proving that a woman can live a full life without marriage, she most certainly lived happily ever after."_**

**_The end._**

Hiro's face twisted in confusion, "What did we just watch?"

Kisa clapped merrily away while Haru and Momiji started watching the play-back, "We told you! Sorta Cinderella!"

Backstage everyone was changing clothes and moving props to prepare for the next play that would soon be taking place. Others had the opportunity to leave or enjoy the food in the cafeteria while others had to stay around a little longer. As a certain orange head stripped his clothes he for one couldn't wait to get home. That was until he heard familiar voices that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I see. You had to play the opposite of him, did you?" Kyo sharply turned his head and sure enough his Master was there talking to Hanajima!

"Yes, I did." Hana smiled, "Ah- I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Saki Hanajima. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kazuma smiled and nodded, "I'm Kazuma Sohma. Thank you for helping Kyo."

Kyo stumbled towards them on weak legs. It's bad enough that his Master saw his embarrassing performance but he distinctly remembered Hanajima having a crush on Master as well. He refused to have someone like her as a mother, "M-master…why're yo- how?"

Kazuma chuckled, "Hello, Kyo. Nice performance."

Hana smiled at Kyo, "Yes. Good work. I think my performance today was a success because he played the opposite me. Thank you very much, Kyo." That sent cold chills up his spin. It was never good when she smiled and lies through her teeth like that. "Well then- I'm going to go change. If fate allows it, I'll see you again."

Kazuma continued smiling, "Yes, again."

Hana went on her way much to Kyo's relief. Kazuma turned to Kyo, "You have a lovely classmate-" He stopped when Kyo grabbed him by the arms, "Master! Please! Please don't get married!"

Kazuma was taken aback by his outburst but soon laughed while rubbing Kyo's head just like when he was a child, "What's this all of a sudden? You certainly are a child."

"And you're the brainless father figure!" He pushed his hand off, "And wait a minute. Who told you about the play?"

Speak of the devil. He leaned against Kazuma, "Hm…who indeed."

"Hello Haru." Kazuma smiled.

"Big surprise." Kyo said deadpanned grabbing Haru in a choke hold.

"Momiji got it all on tape. We'll send you a copy."

Kazuma nodded, "Please do. Now where on earth is Zakura? I didn't see her in the play at all."

Kyo froze. To be honest he hadn't seen her since they all arrived at school. He doesn't even remember talking to her this morning…he's been so busy hiding and running away from his fears that he's been avoiding her. "I…don't know…" He looked at the ground ashamed, "…it's not like I keep tabs on where she is all the time…"

"She's getting ready to perform." Haru said, tucking his cell phone in his pocket.

"Perform?" They echoed.

They went to the auditorium to find the others sitting in the front row as well as equally confused when Momiji told them that he too got a text from Zakura saying she couldn't meet up with them later because she had to help perform for the seniors. They wondered why she didn't say anything until now and wonder what the play would be.

**_Once long ago, far off in an enchanted forest, there was a beautiful castle. Inside the castle was a prince. He had everything he wanted but his heart was cold and the prince was spoiled._**

**_One night the prince was sitting around, a scowl on his face and his head resting on one hand. The fingers of his free hand thrummed the arm of his chair and he glared out the window at the chill air. There was suddenly a knock at the door. The servants were all in bed as it was a holiday and they were allowed the day of rest. The prince sighed and answered the door. He opened it a bit so as to keep the cold winds outside and saw a woman standing out there in the cold. The woman was the ugliest he had ever seen but she held a rose in one of her wart covered hands. It was a miracle the thing did not wither and die in her hands._**

_"Please sir," The woman rasped, "Take this rose in exchange for granting me a night's stay."_

_The prince sneered at the gift. "Get out of here, hag."_

_"Do not be fooled by appearances young prince." The woman warned._

**_But the prince did not heed her warning and he dismissed her again._**

**_The third time he tried to send the old woman out of his sight, her ugliness melted away to reveal the enchantress. She was not pleased with the prince. He tried to apologize to the enchantress but she had seen his heart was cold. And so she transformed into a demon._**

_"Because you have no love in your cold heart, I here by transform you into a demon." She said**.**_

**_With smoke and mirrors, the Prince transformed into a hairy beast. The enchantress had also put the spell upon the whole of the castle, and the forest it was in. The demon locked himself away in his castle, his only contact to the outside world was an enchanted mirror, which could show him anything he chose, the other thing he kept was the rose that was given him. If the last petal of the rose was to fall then he would be doomed to remain a beast for all eternity. But if he were to find love then the curse would be lifted. But who could ever love a beast?_**

"Okay, go." One of the seniors handed me a little a little lunch basket before she shooed me across the stage.

Taking a deep breath I strode slowly across the stage swinging the basket from hand to hand as I twirled around as if taking in the town scenery. I opened my mouth and hope to dad that I don't mess this up.

_Little town… it's a quiet village.  
>Everyday~ like the one before.<br>Little town~ full of little people, waking up to say…  
>A boy popped out of the prop window, "Bonjour!"<br>And so did another and so on, "Bonjour!" "Bonjour!" "Bonjour!" "Bonjour!"  
>I weaved through the other students, "There goes the baker with his tray like always. The same old bread and rolls to sell…Every morning just the same, since the morning that we came, to this poor provincial town."<br>The 'baker' walked behind me with the tray of fake bread, "Good Morning Belle!"  
>I turned to the baker and smiled, "G'morning!"<br>"Where you off to?" He asks.  
>"The book shop..." I answered pulling out the book prop that was sadly Mogeta, "I just finished the most wonderful story it's about-"<br>"That's nice. Marie!" He shouts into the fake baker shop," The baguettes! Hurry up!"  
>I went on my way slowly walking around the stage as if exploring the town.<br>"Look there she goes that girl is strange no question. Dazed and distracted can't you tell? Never part of any crowd. Cuz her heads up on some cloud. No denying she's a funny girl that Belle. Bonjour! Good day! How is your family? Bonjour! Good day! How is your wife? I need six eggs! That's too expensive."  
>I twirled on the stage, "There must be more than this provincial life." I stopped in front of the make-shift book store and a boy popped his head out. "Ah! Belle!"<br>I smiled, "Good Morning! I've come to return the book I've borrowed!" I held up the manga.  
>"Finished already?"<br>"Oh I couldn't put it down. Got anything new?"  
>He shook his head, "Not since yesterday!"<br>I placed the book in his hands for him to take, "That's ok. I'll borrow the one from last week."  
>"That one?! But you've read it twice." He hands me another manga to carry around.<br>"Well it's my favorite! Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!"  
>"If you like it all that much, it's yours."<br>"Thank you very much!" I waved good-bye and walked about the stage again.  
>"Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar. I wonder if she's feeling well. With a dreamy far off look. And her nose stuck in a book. What a puzzle to the rest of us, is Belle."<br>Two boys joined the stage one carrying a sack while the other stood there with regal._

_"Wow! You didn't miss a shot Gaston! You're the greatest hunter in the whole world."  
>"I know." The boy flexed his skinny arms.<br>"No beast alive stands a chance against you. And no girl for that matter!"  
>The boy flicked his hands through his hair, drawing a squeal from the girls in the crowd, "It's true. And I've got my sights set on the one." He points to me.<br>"The inventors daughter?!"  
>"She's the one! The lucky girl I'm going to marry!"<br>"But she's..."  
>"The most beautiful girl in town. That makes her the best! And don't I deserve the best!?"<br>"Well of course, I mean you do, I mean..."  
>He smirked, "Right from the moment when I met her, saw her; I said she's gorgeous and I vow...here in town there's only she, who is beautiful as me. So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle." He smiles at me but ignored him and continued on knowing that he was going to follow me around the stage.<br>"Look there he goes, isn't he dreamy? Monsieur Gaston, oh he's so cute! Be still my heart, I'm hardly breathing. He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute."  
>I opened my arms while slowly spinning around, "There must be more than this provincial life!"<br>"Just watch I'm going to make Belle my wife!" He sang holding his hand out to me.  
>Look there she goes the girl that's strange but special. A most peculiar mademoiselle. It's a pity and a sin, she doesn't quite fit in. But she really is a funny girl…A beauty but a funny girl...She really is a funny girl... That Belle!"<em>

The audience applauded.

"I had no idea that Zakura could sing!" Tohru said happily applauding.

"Yes, she has quiet a skill." Yuki agreed.

_I leaned lightly against the fake well, reading the fake manga that contained a few lines in case I forgot._

_"Good morning, Belle." The boy greeted._

_"Good morning, Gaston." I replied getting off the well to walk past him but he stopped me and took the book away._

_"How can you even read this? There are no pictures."_

_"Some people use their imagination." I retorted._

_He guffawed "Belle, a woman shouldn't read. They start getting ideas and start thinking."_

_He suddenly tossed the book._

_"Is that so wrong? Why shouldn't we think?"_

_"If you're going to think about something- think of something more important, like marriage."_

_I shook my head picking up the book, "_

_"Yeah, like marriage!"_

_"Lovely thinking, but I need to get back to Grandpa." I said as she finished cleaning off her book._

**_"Belle left Gaston for being rude and full of himself. She went home to her Grandfather to find the little cottage a wreck from his latest invention. She asks him if he too thinks she's odd for liking books. He assures her that she's fine the way she is and assured her that his latest invention will surely get them out of this boring town. She helped him hitch up the horse and waved him off to the faire where he would sell his invention. However on the way he got lost and was almost viciously attacked by wolves. Running through the forest he unknowingly came across the Prince's castle. The enchanted furniture allowed the man to stay. However the beastly Prince appeared and dragged the man down into the cellars. Back home at the cottage Belle heard a knock at the door…"_**

_I sitting on a stool reading another book that contained my lines when the boy who played Gaston appeared. "Gaston! What a surprise."_

_He smiled widely, showing his pearly whites, "Belle, there's not a girl in town who wouldn't love to be in your shoes, know why?" He got down on one knee, "Because I want to marry you!"_

_ I set the book down, "That's very nice of you to propose without much warning…" I stood up to skirt around him, "…but I'm afraid that I'm just not interested."_

_"But why?" He asked standing up, "There's no one more perfect for me than you! Your beauty matches my own. Together we can be the most beautiful couple in town!"_

_"Is a woman who is beautiful and doesn't think for herself all that matters to you?" I asked him._

_"It's every man's dream to have a trophy wife."_

_"It's not my dream." I told him walking across the stage and on cue two seniors dressed as the horse came running across the stage. Knowing that something happened to my 'grandfather' I followed the horse._

**_"Belle arrived to the Prince's castle and went inside to find her Grandfather. Wondering down hall after hall she stumbled upon the chamber that contained her grandfather. When she tried to get him out the beast discovered her and demanded her to leave his castle. Belle refused until he released her Grandfather and if need be she would take his place instead. The beast agreed that Belle shall stay and the Grandfather shall return home. Once he was back to the village Grandfather spreads word of what happened to him and asked for someone to help rescue Belle._**

_"How did you become a beast?" I bravely asked the hairy man._

_"It's none of your business." He replied gruffly, "This castle is your home now. You may wonder about as you wish but stay away from the west wing." He warned her before disappearing._

_I kneeled on the stage and faked sobbing at the hopelessness of my situation._

**_"Seeing the young woman in tears inspired the enchanted furniture to reveal themselves to her to cheer her up. They lead her to the dining room to feed her in hopes to get her spirits up and it worked wonderfully with a little singing and dancing. Fascinated by the magic in the castle she began to explore ignoring the warnings to not wander into the west wing. She stumbled upon the library and even more the beautiful enchanted rose. When she went to touch it the beast found her and yelled at her. She ran away in fear for her life, all the way out of the castle and into the enchanted woods where the wolves waited to tear the flesh from her body. Miraculously the beast had followed her and saved her from the wolves. Upon returning to the castle she began to mend the wound the beast received from protecting her._**

_"Thank you…for saving my life." I said to the beast holding the cloth to the fake wound._

_The beast gasped. Not used to being thanked or shown gratitude, "…you're welcome…you are not afraid of me…of how I look?"_

_I tilted my head to the side as I cradled his arm, "I was at first…your temper scared me…and I've never seen anyone like you before. I'm sorry I ran away."_

_He sighed, "It's alright. I deserve this curse…"_

I blinked as I allowed that sentence to sink in. Part of the reason why I didn't want to do this play is because how much it reminded me of our relationship with the Sohma.

_"No…no one ever deserves to be cursed…" I shook my head momentarily forgetting my line, "I mean…you may have been cruel but you still showed me some kindness. And one act of kindness deserves another." I tied the cloth around his arm, "You may be scary looking on the outside but I bet you're a wonderful man on the inside…"_

_The beast smiled, "Thank you…"_

**_"And from that day on the beast has shown Belle nothing but warmth and kindness. He joined her for dinner, even dressing appropriately. He allowed her full access to the libraries even joining her to read. Soon after, he gave her a tour of the gardens to feed the birds and to talk about anything."_**

_"There's something sweet…And almost kind…But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined. And now he's dear and so I'm sure…I wonder why I didn't see it there before…"_

_I held onto his arm as we walked around the stage, pretending to be touring the snowy gardens._

_"She glanced this way, I thought I saw. And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw. No it can't be…I'll just ignore…But then she's never looked at me that way before."_

_I left him to hid behind a fake tree and pretended to gather my thoughts, "New~ and a bit alarming." I touched my flushed cheeks. "Who'd have ever thought that this could be~? True that he's no Prince Charming. But there's something in him that I simply didn't see~."_

**_"That evening best took Belle to the dining hall and together they dined and danced most of the night away. After the dance the beast asked Belle if she was happy. She replied that she was but she desperately wants to see her grandfather, just to be sure that he was alright. Beast took her to the west wing and showed her the enchanted mirror that had the ability to show her anything she desired. She asked the mirror to show her grandfather and to her horror he was in the woods, sick. Beast saw the unhappy look on her face and allowed her to leave the castle even if it ruined his chance of finally returning human again. Belle gave him a long hug before leaving the castle behind her._**

**_When she found her grandfather in the forest she took him back to their cottage and tried to nurse him back to health. Unfortunately the villagers came pounding on their door. They were coming to take her grandfather away, claiming him mad for telling lies about a beast kidnapping Belle. Belle tried to deny their claims, but Gaston came strutting in putting his arm around her._**

_"I can clear up this misunderstanding- if you marry me!"_

_I pulled away from him, "No! I'll never marry you! And my grandfather is not crazy! I can prove the beast is real!" I pulled out the enchanted mirror from my cloak and showed everyone, "Look! He's not vicious! He's kind and gentle!"_

_Enraged, Gaston shouted, "She's as crazy as the old man! I saw we kill the beast once and for all!"_

**_"The mob of villagers locked Belle and her grandfather in the cellar and stormed to the beast's castle. Feeling that this was somehow her fault, Belle did everything she could to break out of the cell with the help of her grandfather. Once they've broken out Belle grabbed the horse and rode to the castle praying that she wasn't too late to stop them from killing the beast."_**

Hiro crossed his arms, "At least this is way better than the stupid woman's play. Finally some action."

"Shh!" The others hissed, obviously getting very into the play.

**_"Belle climbed to the up vines to reach the castle roof where beast and Gaston were fighting. Beast had gained the upper hand by having Gaston by his throat, however after seeing Belle watch on in fear he released him to go to her. When his back was turned Gaston stabbed the beast in the back. Belle yelled in fear for the worst and pushed Gaston away from the man/beast she had come to love, unknowingly pushing Gaston off the roof to his death. A moment of silence for him."_**

**_"…"_**

**_"…"_**

**_"…"_**

**_"Moving along. Wounded, the beast gazed into Belle's eyes…"_**

_ Holding a clawed hand to her cheek, whispering, "I love you…thank you for showing kindness to this monster…"_

_I shook my head in denial holding his hand to my face, "Please! No! I love you."_

The most of the audience was moved to tears by the performance at this point.

**_"And as if by magic, it began to rain down upon them, slowly turning the beast into human..." More smoke and mirrors, revealing the handsome boy under all that fur._**

_"Belle, it's me!" The Prince sat up to hold her hands, "You're love broke my curse! I'm free!"_

I don't know why but I felt as if a huge weight had lifted off of me when I heard those words. Completely breaking the script I hugged the boy tightly. _'I'm so happy Kyo…that your curse is broken and that you're finally free…I'm happy that my love was enough…'_

"Uh…Zakura?" The boy whispered confused, bringing back to reality that he definitely was not Kyo. I pulled away from him and he helped me stand for the final part.

**_"Erm…With the curse finally lifted and all the enchanted furniture back to their humans selves, the Prince took a turn for the better. He opened his castle to anyone who needed it and became a kinder more friendlier man. Even asking Belle's hand in marriage who had happily accepted. Together they proved that love can turn a cold heart warm and even a beast is a person on the inside."_**

**_The end._**

"Bravo!"

"Wonderful!"

We all joined hands and took one final bow before leaving the stage. I'm so happy to be done with this mess.

"Great job, Zakura." One senior praised me, patting me on the shoulder.

"Yes, you really came through for us."

"This is our best performance for our final year. Thank you for helping us."

I smiled as I started stripping out of my costume. Like a profession seamstress I had clothes on underneath. "I'm glad I could help." Never again!

-0-0-

"Zakura!" I was surprised to see everyone was still here. I was sure that most of them would've gone back home or stayed in the cafeteria to eat by now.

"You were amazing, Big sis." Kisa hugged me around the waist and I whole heartedly returned it.

"Thank you." I looked up to see the others, "Your play was great too."

Yuki and Kyo sweat dropped, "It was a disaster."

"It was a lot of fun!" Tohru chirped, "Oh, but Zakura you were absolutely amazing! I had no idea that you were such an amazing singer."

"Yeah, where did you learn to sing like that?" Hiro asked confused.

"And where to act?" Momiji asks, "You were very good!"

I rubbed the back of my head. "Well…to be honest the acting was hard since it was such short notice…as for the singing…" I giggled, "…I lip-synced."

"Ehhhh?!"

"No way!"

"Are you serious?!"

"You're joking!"

I shrugged uncaring with a smile, "I make clothes- I don't sing." Winking I strode past them in search for the cafeteria, "Since we all did a job well done, let's get something to eat!"

"Yay!"

_Deep in my heart I wanted it to be true…that somehow my love for Kyo would break the curse and set him free…is that such a silly wish? A silly dream? Where are all the answers to these questions? I can't answer them myself. Where is the answer to breaking this curse?_


	29. These dreams

Such positve feedback from everyone! The feels! Thank you everyone!Happy Turkey day and I''ll try to update Naruto soon! This story is a bit easier (and shorter) to write than Naruto! (C) Natsuki Takaya

Review and alert and favorite thank yous are at the bottom!

* * *

><p>"Zakura~!" Mine sang popping her head into my little sewing room, "Manager and I are going out to lunch. Can you watch the shop while we're gone?"<p>

Looking up from my sewing machine I smiled tiredly, "Sure, no problem."

She titled her head, "Do you want us to bring you something back?"

"Curry Rice, please."

"Right-o!" She chimed before closing the door behind her. Shaking my head I went back to my little project. A new fan favorite has hit the store and it has been driving me bananas trying to make them all. People have been going crazy for something called RWBY. Never seen or heard of it until a week ago when a horde of people came in demanding it. I did a bit of research about it and I'll admit that the costumes are amazing but such a pain to make! It's taken me hours to do just Yang and Ruby's costumes and I swear if someone asks me to make Ruby's scythe I'm quitting!

_*Buzz* *Buzz*_

Putting down the corset to Ruby's costume I picked up my phone to see that I had a text message. Opening it up I was floored to see it was a message from my mom. I hadn't heard from her in months! The last thing she ever said to me was that she was going to America with her new boyfriend. Since I refused to go with her so our good-bye was short.

**I'm in town for a few days. I would like to talk to you.**

_'Well, this ought to be good…' _ As much as I don't want to talk to her, I do need to take from this frustrating costume. It's been a slow day at the shop so I was sure that leaving it for an hour or two wouldn't hurt.

Placing the costume pieces down I left my little room and went to the front to scribble a note for Ayame and Mine when they come back. Switching the sign on the door I walked out and closed it behind me after locking it. Tucking the key into my pocket I double checked my phone to see if she sent me another message. She wanted to meet at the park to talk. '_Why is it that whenever I have to have a talk with my mom I have a sick feeling in my stomach? Is it because we never have nice things to say to each other? When was the last time we ever said anything nice to each other? When I was little, too young to remember? Ever since dad died we've been nasty to each other…not like a mother and daughter should be to each other. Why couldn't I have had a relationship with her like Tohru and her mom?' _ I slowed to a stop when I came to a crosswalk, standing amongst the small crowd that gathered there. _'Would I have turned out different if mom cared a little bit more about me when dad was alive? What about after he died? Would I have met Tohru and Kyoko? Would I have ever met the Sohmas'?' _I almost laughed to myself and shook my head. '_Why on earth am I thinking like this anyway?'_

The light turned green and I joined the crowd in crossing the street. I tried not to walk too fast to get to the park. I was not in that much of a rush to meet her. For all I know she could be telling me that she finally decided to disown me. Would that be such a bad thing? On the one hand I wouldn't really care because I'm living with the Sohmas and Tohru but on the other hand she's my mother…

"Zakura."

Regrettably I had reached the park and my mother was standing there in her name brand clothes as usual.

"Mom." I greeted back somberly.

* * *

><p>"So how have you been?" She asks casually. After our little greeting exchange we decided to sit on one of the park benches.<p>

"Fine." I sat on the far end of the bench with my arms crossed. "How about you?"

"Fine." She sat on the other end with her arms and legs crossed.

"…"  
>"…"<p>

Well…this is going splendid. "So…how's America?"

"It's alright. Good stores…"

Of course. "And how's…um…" What was her last boyfriend's name?

"He's great. He couldn't take time off of work to come with me here but that's fine. I just needed to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About your future," She said with her eyes closed, "I realize that I missed your Parent/Teacher conference but I would like to know what you decided to do with your future."

"For now I'm going to continuing making clothes. I haven't decided beyond that…"

My mother sighs, "And what about living with those boys?" She asks, "Are you going to continue living off of them?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, "what do you mean 'living off' of them? What about you? You live off your boy toys of the week."

"That's different!" She snapped at me, "As your mother I tried to provide the best I can-!"

"The best that you can?! Seriously?!" I rounded back at her, "Leaving me with Kyoko while you did other things was providing the best-!"

"You were too young to understand the sacrifices I had to make-"

"What sacrifices?! You were never around! It was always dad who was there taking care of me! Dad actually spent time with me!" I remember dad's face and kind words more than hers.

"And while he was doing that who was the one bringing money into our home?" She asks me scornfully.

"Money?" I asked puzzled, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Mom scoffed mockingly, "Again. You were too young to understand." She crossed her arms tighter to her chest. "As parents we try not to let our child know that we're in a financial situation. Your dad and I got together when we were young…just fresh out of high school. We were very much in love and didn't care much about anything else but each other. We figured everything would fall into place since we had each other and our love to keep us going. We both attained part time jobs and rented an apartment for us to live in together like a married couple. From then on everything was simple-almost like a routine...how we lived our lives. Hardly any hassle since we were living contently…bills, rent, and food were hardly a problem."

My face dropped a bit when she paused in her story. I started to get the sick feeling in my stomach again. So…before they had me…they lived a typical happy life… "So I made your life miserable?"

Mom sighed and leaned her head back to rest against the back of the bench, "In a way…yes."

An invisible arrow pierced through my heart. She didn't have to be so blunt!

Mom bounced her foot that was over her leg in the air, "I suppose if we had been more careful we wouldn't have been in our financial situation. It was easier to live with just the two of us, but with a baby it was almost nightmarish. In the beginning of my pregnancy I had to pull all the extra hours I could with your father before I couldn't work anymore. We had to use extra money to buy baby things and everything! It was hard scraping all our money together to provide for you with only part-time pay."

"Why didn't you guys get full-time jobs before?"

She quirked an eyebrow at me, "Do you know how hard it is to get a full-time job with only high school education?" She asks me, "Not very easy. Besides it would've been a waste since one of us had to take care of you. Eventually rent and bills caught up to us and with only part-time pay it was difficult…so I had to use…other means…"

I swallowed hard. I couldn't look at her after that. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. I remember that day clearly…it was when dad and I came home from playing outside and we saw mom at home with another man. So in the end…if I wasn't born then dad would still be alive and mom and dad would be happy living a typical life. "But why do you still…even after dad died…?"

"It's similar to how people drink a lot…to forget…"

I rolled my eyes at her immaturity. Ladies and gentlemen that's my mother. "Aren't you role model of the year?"

She tutted, "Once you become a mother you'll understand the hardships I had to go through. I assure you it's not easy rising an ungrateful daughter."

I scoffed, " 'ungrateful'? If I'm grateful for anything it's-" I stopped talking and began to actually think about what she had. Once I become a mother I'll understand the hardships she went through. 'I think there's a saying that said you'll never understand a person unless you walk a mile in their shoes. If I try to put myself in mom's place…would I make the same choices she did? Would I dump my child on someone else constantly just so I could make ends meet? Would I neglect the child just to make their lives better? Would the child love me…or hate me…? Would I make the drastic choice my mother made just to put more food on the table?' I looked down at my shoes, 'Come to think of it…if my mother hadn't neglected me…I wouldn't have met Tohru, Uo, Hana, and the Sohmas…I wouldn't have found my love for making cosplay…I wouldn't have braved the storms and bugs with Tohru in that little tent…I wouldn't have experienced a lot of things. I'm sure that if she hadn't abandoned me I too would be living an everyday life blissfully unaware of the people I've grown to love today. Hell, I wouldn't have ever known about Yuki and he's been in our class since the beginning of the school year!' It suddenly dawned me. If things didn't happen the way they did… "-that you abandoned me." I finished.

"What?"

"Leaving me with Kyoko and Tohru was the best thing you've ever done for me." I told her honestly with a smile. "If you hadn't done that then I wouldn't have had the wonderful experiences that I've had."

"That's all well and good, dear." She said rolling her eyes, "But you honestly must get your head out of the clouds and face reality. I'm sure you've met good people and had some good times but you must know when to grow up. These 'wonderful' people aren't going to be in your life forever. After high school you're going to have to grow up and face reality. Soon you'll only have one year left to be a teenager."

I still held my smile, "I know…so why can't I enjoy the last bit of bliss I have with my friends?"

"You can but just know that it'll be painful when everyone is growing up and moving on while you don't because you're afraid to face the real world. You've become too dependent on Tohru and that orange haired boy. I honestly don't think you're a match for him." She let out another sigh, "But then again what do I know?" She uncrossed her legs and stood up, "Anyway, I better get back."

I stood up too, "Yeah, I left the shop long enough. Boss should be back any time now."

She turned her heads towards me, looking mildly surprised, "He leaves you to run the store alone?"

"Well, yeah. There's only three of us running the store." I told her, "There are a lot of tough days with only three of us but we're doing what we love and that makes it worth it."

Her face relaxed a bit as if deep in thought, "Hmm, over something as simple as making silly costumes…" She closed her eyes and turned her back to me, "Anyway, I need to go."

I nodded, "Right. Bye mom."

She took a few steps away before she stopped again. She didn't face me but her voice rang clear, "Don't be like me, Zakura…make good choices with your life." Then without another word she continued on her way and didn't look back.

'Huh…that was the first piece of motherly advice I have ever heard her give in a very long time.' When my mother was completely out of sight I slowly started my way back to the shop, 'I wonder what made you come back to talk to me? Closure? We didn't end in an argument and if anything I got a bit of understanding out of her. I dislike her for making the selfish choice of giving me up to Kyoko so she could live her life how she wanted, but…she's my mother…what can I do?' Looking up at the sky I thought about what she said about making good choices. I know I won't make all the right choices. I know when I'll get out of high school I'll have to make a lot of tough life changing choices that may be right or wrong.

"Ah! Zakura! Did you take a little walk?" Looks like I beat Ayame and Mine on the way back to the shop, "Ah, I see you had to stretch your legs to get your creativity energy flowing! Very understandable! Not everyone can be as gifted as I who doesn't necessarily need to be inspired to create wonderful masterpieces! Oh but don't fret my dear perhaps one day my wonderful talent will brush onto you! Soon you won't need to take a walk to feel inspired! Soon clothes will be flourishing from your fingers just as mine do!" Ayame boasted loudly swinging the shop door open majestically and entering the shop with his kingly swagger as always. Ever since the cultural festival his ego went nuclear. All the students loved his work and requests have flooded in. He's been on a princess theme for weeks now.

"I'm sure I could never reach your level of skill Ayame."

"While that may be true you have your own level of skill that's just as fantastic!" He patted my head like a puppy, "Just as Mine has her own special skills you have your own and I have my own."

I can't believe I'm going to be taking advice from Ayame of all people. "I think I understand. I'm having a hard time thinking about what I want to do with my life." I told him going towards my little workshop room aware that they're following me. Sitting down at my desk I stared at the unfinished RWBY costume, "With my final year coming up it seems like, no matter what, I _have _to think about my future and what I have to do with my life. I know I want to make clothes because I'm happiest when I'm doing that and it's the only thing I'm good at…but when I have to think about leaving Shigure's house… where I'm going to live… Will I live alone…" I fiddled my fingers shyly, "…or hopefully with someone…if I live alone…will I be okay by myself? Will I be able to take care of everything by myself? What about living with someone else? Will I be able to support my future family? Will I be able to make them happy?"

I had all these questions and hardly any answers. I'm scared to face reality. I'm scared that I won't make it on my own.

Mine stood behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder, "it's always scary thinking about the future you can't see." I looked up at her feeling a little better at ease when she gave me a small knowing smile, "I went through the same thing. Want to know what helped me?" I nodded. "I dreamed of the future I wanted and reached for it with all my heart. Not everyone supported me in my dreams in being a seamstress but that didn't matter to me." She placed a hand on her chest, "I followed my dreams and through happiness and hardships I found Ayame." We looked towards Ayame who was doing a terrible job pretending that he wasn't listening. "I didn't know I was going to stumble upon Ayame's shop but I'm very happy that I did." She smiled at him and he smiled back fondly. "So you see…it's okay to be scared, but don't let that fear keep you from dreaming of our future."

I slowly nodded showing that I understood. "Dreaming of my future…"

Ayame sprung to my side and hoisted me out of chair, "Yes! And what better way to dream than to have a nap!" He pushes me out of the room and towards the back of the store where off to the left was a wooden staircase that led to their apartment above the store.

"A nap in the middle of the day?" I asked him incredulously. He pushes me into the living room and towards the couch, "But what about work? I'm not finished with the costumes and I still have to-" I grunted when he pushes me down on the couch and forces me to lay down. Mine appeared an instant later with a knitted quilt and laid it across me.

"Pleasant dreams~!" They sang before skipping merrily out the door.

'Do they honestly think I'll be able to sleep while I'm on the job? I guess there's no harm in trying if they insist.' I snuggled further under the quilt, trying to get comfortable. I closed my eyes and tried to relax my mind from the hundreds of thoughts running through it.

* * *

><p><em>"Keep in mind students that every sewing machine is different. So don't get frustrated and smash your machine." The teacher adjusted her glasses with a tight smile, "By the way if you do you owe the school 2,000 dollars." Several students gulped. "Now then, we're all using the Singer Advance machine. Please note that there is a manual for every machine so please refer to it and study it well…"<em>

_As the teacher droned on and on I found myself slowly putting my machine together; putting the thread through the top holes of the bobbin then putting it in the bobbin winder. After that I threaded the bobbin while teacher went on about the manual. By the time she was finished with the first page of it I had snipped the bobbin free of the spool and placed in in the bobbin compartment._

_"Here's a fun little fact that everyone takes for granted. There are tons of different types of needles. There are needles for jeans, leather, metallic ones that are very strong, and needles are work very well for super-fine material. Also be sure to have a lot of needles on hand because there will be times where your needles will break and we would hate for your needles to break fort-night when you have a very big project."_

_Why do I feel like I know all of this already? My hands seem to have a mind of their own as they worked with the machine and the fabric._

_"Since this is a trial class for beginners, we're going to do something simple." The teacher held up a ripped pair of jeans and a patch. "Your first project is to repair the rip in the pant leg. Each table has what you need. If you feel up to the challenge you may take the project home and bring the repaired jeans back tomorrow. Since this is a trial you will not be graded. This is to see who's serious about this class."_

_*Bing~bong~*_

_"Alright." The teacher raised her voice a bit over the clatter of desks and people chatting, "It was good meeting some of you and I hope to see some of you tomorrow. For those who are serious about taking this class I highly suggest you start studying your machine as well as draw up some ideas for future projects."_

_Future…that word again…_

_-0-_

_Standing in the school library I skimmed through the hundreds of titles that lined the shelves. I don't know how I found myself in the library. Am I researching like the teacher said? But why when I already know most of the material? Sewing, stitching, repairing, embroidery…it's all simple to me. I know how to do it. So why am I looking?_

_"Excuse me." Soft gruff voice spoke from behind me, startling me into moving a bit to the right. "Thanks." My eyes were immediately drawn to his bright orange hair as he bent down smoothly to grab a book off the bottom shelve where I had been previously standing. Such an interesting hair color. I wonder if it's natural. When he stood back up to his normal height I was able to tell that I could only come up to his shoulders. Such a tall lithe body shaped by those clothes that somehow fit him just right._

_"Do you need to get over here?" He asks me, snapping me out of my daze._

_"Wha-?"_

_"If you're going to just stand there and stare at me at least say something." He said before I could even finish my question, "I'm not a mind reader or anything. Say what's on your mind instead of just standing there staring."_

_My eyebrow twitched with irritation. Who the hell does he-? "Excuse me for wondering if your hair color is natural or not!"_

_"Why the hell do you want to know that?"_

_"I've never seen anyone with orange hair before so sue me." I huffed holding the book I picked off the shelf closer to my chest. Such a rude guy. Can't believe I thought he was attractive for a few seconds._

_"Sewing?" He chuckled, reading the title of the book I had in my arms, "You're taking sewing courses?"_

_"Yeah. What's wrong with that?" I asked defensively._

_"Nothing." He replied, flipping idly through the pages in the book he picked out, "Just thinking how expected it is. All girls ever want to learn how to do is cook and stuff."_

_"Oh is that right?" I quickly snatched his book out of his hand and flipped it over to see the cover. "Construction for dummies, huh? As expected for a guy." I smirked and tossed the book back at him a little irritated how smoothly he caught it._

_"At least it's better than girly sewing."_

_"Tch. Keep that attitude and we'll see if I ever fix your jeans when you tear a hole in them from all your construction work." I teased._

_He chuckled back, "Let's see if I'll ever fix a hole in your roof if you don't."_

_I laughed with him. How strange for me to be so comfortable with a guy I've never met before. It's almost natural how well I'm speaking with this total stranger even though we've never met before until now._

_-0-_

_'So many possibilities and nowhere to start.' I stepped out of a local book store. I was wandering around town looking for any form of inspiration so I could get started on my project but nothing seemed to strike me. I saw a fashion magazine in the window and since I had nothing better to do at the moment I decided to go into the store to take a peek. Nothing jumped out at me. The clothes were beautiful but nothing really gave me that spark of creativity._

_My feet led me to a nearby park that held a small festival. Families and friends were spread out in the park enjoying the festivities. Spreads of food littered the grass, sakura petals danced across the air falling to the beat of music from the entertainment. It all looked like fun._

_The sound of laughter rang behind me and before I knew it I was elbowed and brushed aside by a group of kids and teens. A little girl with golden orange hair is holding hands with a little boy with light brown hair. Behind them were the teens that bumped my other arm, an energetic blond bouncing on his toes next to a girl with shoulder length chocolate brown hair. A tall boy with two toned hair walked closely next to a girl with short black hair. I found it cute how closely their clothes matched each other. Walking near them was a tall boy with greyish hair walking close to a tall curvy girl with very long black hair._

_"Sorry about them." A man chortled in apology before walking past me to keep up with the group. He was an attractive young adult with short black hair wearing a grey yukata._

_"Can't keep your eye off of them for one minute." A tall slender man sighed walking past me dressed as a doctor. "Please excuse us." He pardoned following the others._

_I briefly wondered if they were a family even though they look nothing alike, except that they're all equally beautiful. 'Hmmm…' I peered at the little girl with golden brown hair and found her utterly adorable but her dress…it is so…plain. It pains me to see something so plainly hideous on such an adorable little girl. 'Ah-ha! I've got it!' And just like that I had a design in my mind and I knew I had to get home right away and put my epiphany on a mannequin as soon as possible._

_-0-_

_It took all night and into the morning but I had completed it. A pretty yellow Lolita dress with all the frills and lace and ribbons than anyone knows what to do with that was inspired by the cute little girl from the park. I only wish I could find that little girl again and give it to her and thank her for inspiring this but I had to turn it in to school for a grade. Carefully placing the dress in a drycleaners bag I rushed out the door with it and booked it to school. I bobbed and weaved through the early morning crowds and fought and squeezed to get on the bus. Holding the dress close to me I prayed that I get it to school mostly intact and that the sooner I get to the school the better._

_'Almost there.' I chanted over and over in my head when the bus came to a stop two blocks away from the school. Why does it stop there I don't know and it didn't matter because I was nearly home free!_

_I sprinted there as fast as I could dancing around kids playing on the sidewalk and ducking under a fridge that two guys were moving from off a truck and into a store._

_"Hey!"_

_"Watch it!"_

_I turned my head over my shoulder and shouted an apology back. Surprisingly one of the movers had orange hair. Was that the guy from the library? Doesn't matter right now! Have to get dress to class!_

_I broke through the double doors, ran up three flights of steps, ran down two halls, and finally I saw my class room door in sight. Home free!_

_I turned the knob the second I reached the door and entered the classroom. Only a few students were already here putting on the finishing touches on their projects. I went over to my desk and carefully placed the dress down. I grabbed a mannequin from the corner of the room and brought it over to my desk. Unzipping the bag I pulled the dress out and carefully placed it on the mannequin. Stepping back to admire it I felt very proud of it._

_Soon other students began to pour into the class room and began setting up their projects. I ignored most of them and continue staring at the dress I made._

_"Ah yes! This place brings back many memories! Same drab walls and windows! They really should've kept the drapes and stainglass windows that I requested. Such genius went to waste! Ah, Mine! Look at these cute little costumes!"_

_I'm pretty sure we were all thinking the same thing when this silver haired drag queen waltzed through the door with his very own fanfare. 'What the hell?'_

_"My, my, what potential!" He exclaimed walking about the classroom giving everyone's project a passing glance, "I remember doing the very same boring projects and nearly failing every single one because the professors have absolutely no taste." He stopped in front of one project, "Oh my! The *Beep* with *Beep* is terribly wrong here." He looks at another, "The middy collar certainly doesn't go with the shawl lapel." And another, "The hems needs some work and so do the seams." And another, "The backstitch needs work here." And another, "Instead of a *beep* you should've used *beep* and *beep* with *beep* for a more interesting flare."_

_'Who exactly is this man?' He turns in my direction and to my utter horror spots my dress. Fearing for my dress's life I tried to block it from his view but I was too late._

_"My! What a cute little dress!" He gently moved me to the side to get a better view. "Such craftsmanship!" He touches the dress here and there, "The stitching is near perfect, and the material, although not brand-name, is workable and comfortable. Seams and stitching are appropriate. The patterns hold taste and the bows are even." He placed a finger to his lip in thought, "And the extra skirt layer gives space for alterations."_

_"Um…"_

_He plucked two pins from my desk and hiked the skirt from the sides and pinned them in place. "Yes! Simply adorable." He turns to me, "Please tell me you have accessories to go with this!"_

_I couldn't believe that he praised my project instead of ridiculing it. "Um….well…I uh…planned on going with a traditional hand pouch with a matching hat."_

_He hummed and nodded trying to visualize it, "Yes, yes, I see. Although instead of the hat what about a cute headband or hairclip?"_

_I thought about it on the little girl I saw at the park, "Those would look cute but I guess it really depends on the taste of the one wearing it."_

_"True! True! I must admit you do have an eye for style. Why are you wasting your talents in a beginners class?" He flourishes his arms, "You should work for me in my new shop! I assure you that your skills are going to be wasted here. Believe me I've been here and done that. I can teach you more in a single day than they will in an entire week!" I wasn't going to accept such an offer from a strange man. "I'll pay you."_

_"When can I start?"_

_-0-0-_

_It's true what my new boss said; I did learn more from him than I would've learned at school. He's taken everything I already knew and helped me take it a step further. Not to mention that the pay wasn't half bad either. Without having to worry too much about school I was able to dedicate my time in finding a cheap suitable apartment for me to stay in and still have enough to buy myself food for a week if I'm very careful with my money. So far I'm living a pretty content routine life without too many struggles. I go to work every day doing what I love and getting paid to do it. I have a place to stay with lights and hot water and a bit of food on the table. My boss and his assistant are very nice if not a bit crazy so I have next to no problems at work…so why…do I feel like…something is still missing from my life? Why, on some days, do I feel like I'm stuck in a never ending loop of doing the same things? Or a better question why do I stare at every couple and family enviously when I see them walk by? Is that what's missing? Do I need a love or a family to feel complete? Do I feel lonely?_

_"Is that it?" I found myself wondering out loud._

_"What? Were you expecting something more?"_

_My head snapped up at the familiar voice and my eyes immediately met orange hair. "Huh?"_

_His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the play set that was added to the park. "I mean it's pretty standard to have at a small park like this. Though if you ask me I don't think it belongs in a park like this. I mean it looks stupid with it sitting there in the middle of a wide open park." He tilts his head a bit, "Now that I look at it from where you're sitting, it blocks the view of the lake. Maybe I should talk to the guys tomorrow about moving it."_

_"…"_

_"…"_

_"…So is your hair really orange or not?"_

_"Is that all you think about?!"_

_I stifled a laugh and patted a spot next to me for him to sit down, "Sorry, I just didn't know what to say after your little rant."_

_He took a seat, "Whatever. You could've said you liked or hated where the play set is."_

_"Why should my opinion matter? I'm not the one who's going to play on it." I said before changing the subject, "Anyway, how've you been?"_

_"Pretty good." He answered before asking, "How about you? Last I saw you; you were running like hell on the way to school. You nearly caused an accident, you know."_

_"I said I was sorry. I had a project to turn in and I didn't want to be late." I told him, "It actually turned out for the better. I got a job."_

_"Congrat. Are you still going to school? I haven't been seeing you around there." He said before adding hastily, "Not that I'm stalking you or anything!"_

_"I wasn't going to assume that." I told him that I wasn't going to school anymore and basically summarized a bit of what happened after he last saw me. In turn he told me what he had been up to since I last saw him. It's strange how a guy like him is single. He's good looking, ambitious, has a good job, goes to school, sort of well-mannered until you tease him a little and then he gets loud and overreacts, but I find it endearing how quickly he flies off the handle. He blames it on his family who basically shunned him for some obscure reason and he often got into fights because of his hair color, making it hard for him to make friends as well as deal with other people. He used to settle his inner rage with martial arts but that only helped so much. He confided that despite using it for self-defense he didn't like hurting people…he want to, in some way, help people instead. So he turned to construction._

_As it was getting dark he volunteered to walk me back to my apartment while he explained on the way why he chose to build instead of fighting all the time._

_"Even though my childhood sucked, I like seeing other families and their homes and I like to imagine having something like that of my own one day." He told me as he fondly looked at the houses we pass along the way, "A little family in a little home…a big family in a big home…a mother with three kids…a father with one child…a family with a lot of money…a family with no money…each home I helped create has some kind of world and I can't help but imagine what kind of world I'll create when I have a home."_

_I looked up at him, "You don't have a home with your family?"_

_He let out a sarcastic chuckle, "I wouldn't stay with them if they were the last family on earth. I stay in the dorms but it's hardly the same." We came to a stop a few feet away from my apartment. "I want a home where I can be myself without being judged, you know? After a long day at work I can take off my shoes, take a nice warm bath, have a good meal, and lay in a comfortable bed. I can even build a book shelf and once I fill it with books, what's stopping me from building another? I could make anything to make home feel like…"_

_"…Your own special place in the world." I finished for him, getting a look of surprise from him._

_"…yeah…"_

_It was like finding a kinder spirit I guess. From that moment on we went from acquaintances to friends that lived in the same apartment together. At first it was a little weird since we were technically strangers to each other but I think that was also half the fun of working out some sort of system to live comfortably together. I think there's a saying about something about our situation; strangers are sometimes friends you haven't met yet. And this guy is a very good one._

_"Can't you see it's crooked?" He teased holding a hammer in his hand._

_"Can't you see it doesn't really matter as long as it holds the tv up?" I sassed back holding a screwdriver._

_Just as he had dreamed Kyo began building furniture into my-excuse me- our apartment. He made three bookshelves, a wooden bedframe for me and for him, a dining table, a glass cabinet for our dishes, and we are now putting a tv stand together. It's always surreal every time I come home there's a new piece of furniture in the room. At first I was worried about the money because furniture is very expensive but when he told me they were 'little projects' he made at school, it made everything okay. Not to mention I could make clothes and save a couple dollars on having to go clothes shopping. All in all we were living a very decent content life and I couldn't find myself happier._

_"So…you've seriously never been with another girl before?" I asked him curiously, my head resting comfortably on his toned stomach. We had finished dinner and are now lazing around until one of us decides to get up and take a shower._

_"You make it sound like a bad thing." He said laying back completely with one arm behind his head and the other resting across my chest. I placed on hand on his and rested the other on my stomach. "I thought some girls liked guys that don't sleep around like that."_

_"I like guys that don't sleep around." I told him, stroking his hand fondly with my thumb, "But…you do know what you're doing…you know…with the…" I blushed a bit._

_He choked on his spit, "Wha-! What kind of guy do you think I am?!" His face burned red._

_"I don't know! The kind that keeps porn magazines under his bed?!" He grew quite at that. Yep, he thought I didn't know about that._

_"…you shouldn't talk." He mutters embarrassed, "I've seen your romance novels. Or should I say your porn novels? Pervert."_

_"Oh-ho! Like you have room to call me a pervert!" I laughed, "I can't help but be a little curious, you know! I haven't been with a guy before."_

_"…curious…huh…?" His hand twitched on my chest. Blood rushed to my face when I felt him lightly grope me as if trying to measure my chest size with a subtle squeeze._

_I lightly pinched his hand, "You're going to have to set the mood better than that if you want a piece of this." I told him._

_"How much to get the whole thing?" He purred._

_Oh dear…_

_-0-0-0-_

_"Now where oh where is my little man?" I staged confusion looking under the dining room table. Not finding my little boy under there I stood up with my hands on my hips. "He's not under the table. Hmmm, could he be in the closet?" I walked over to the coat closet and peeked inside. "Nope. Where on earth could he be?" I staged loudly. It was day off from work and I was spending it playing hide and seek with my little boy. I heard giggling coming from near the living room window and sure enough I saw little socked feet peeking from the bottom. Tiptoeing to the window I stood by the drawstring and gave it a tug, "Let's see what could be behind curtain number 1!" My little boy squeaked adorable and tried to run to avoid being tagged but I grabbed him by the waist and gave him the tickling of a lifetime. Raising a toddler is pretty easy once you figure everything out. Just got to give them attention, entertain them, and feed and water them._

_"Sounds like a lot of fun in here."_

_"Dad!" He broke out of my arms to run to his dad's open arms, "We were – we were playing hide and seek and- and mom couldn't find me! B-but then she did!"_

_"She did?" He asks excitedly holding his boy close._

_"Yeah and she tickled me!"_

_"Oh? Like this?" He then tickles his little son just as viciously as I had done. The house rang beautifully with laughter from all of us._

_"Okay! Who's ready for lunch?" I after walking into the kitchen to check on the stew I had placed on the stove before playing with my son. Both my boys clamored into the kitchen tucking themselves at the table eagerly waiting for lunch. I set the pot in the middle of the table before going to the cabinet to gather the bowls. Placing one in front of my man I gave him a kiss on his cheek getting one in return, placing the other in front of my little boy I gave him a kiss on his forehead getting a small laugh in return. My man reached over smiling fondly and ruffled his son's hair before reaching for the ladle to pour the stew in their bowls. I joined them at the table with my own bowl and smiled at the both of them. I don't know how I thought my life was content before these two. My life is more interesting now with the ups and downs and the struggles of making ends meet when we hit a few snags. Those moments are worth it and I wouldn't trade this for anything._

_"Mom?"_

_"Yes, baby?" I looked at my orange haired little boy._

_"Are you happy?"_

_Am I happy? "Why so curious, honey?"_

_"I want to know too." My orange hair man looked at me as well with curiosity, "Are you happy?"_

_Of course I'm happy. I have a loving man and an adorable son. I have a job that I love and a warm home that we're maintaining very well. I don't think there's anything I would change…_

_"…yes…yes…yes…"_

* * *

><p>"Zakura…"<p>

"…yes…yes…" I opened my eyes groggily and through blurred vision I saw orange. I briefly wondered if I was still dreaming. "…honey…?"

"Pft. I don't know what dream you're having but get up." Kyo chuckled gently pulling me into a sitting position. "It's time to go home."

I blinked slowly, "Huh…" I rubbed my eyes, "How long have I been sleep for? What time is it?"

"Time to go home." He repeated pulling the blanket off of me. "You've been sleep all afternoon."

Ayame waltz into the room, "Ah the princess awakens! Did you have a nice dream, dear? Did you learn anything?"

Kyo turned to Ayame asking him what nonsense he was rambling on about while I looked at Kyo's hands resting on mine from having pulled me into a sitting position. "I did have a nice dream."

Kyo looks at me, "Really? What was it about?"

"Come now Kyo," Ayame scolded half-heartedly, "A person must never reveal such private dreams."

"What do you know?!"

"I did learn something, Ayame." I told him diffusing an oncoming pointless argument, "And you and Mine were right. I know what I want to do with my life."

Ayame clapped, "Splendid my dear! Now you hold onto that resolve and let it carry you forward into the sunset!" He soon began rambling and that's when Kyo and I took our cue to sneak out while he's on his tangent. Hopefully by the time he realizes we'll be blocks away.

"So you feel asleep in the middle of the day too huh?"

"Yeah. I wasn't tired or anything but Ayame thought it would be a good idea for me to take one to relax my mind or something." I tucked my hands behind my back, "It was a good dream, though…I'm glad I had it…"

"A good dream, huh…" He looks down somberly.

I was almost scared to ask, "Did…you have a good dream when you took a nap?"

"I, uh…" He picked up his pace a little faster as if trying to out walk me or trying to out run something else, "I don't remember…it probably wasn't important anyway."

I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it since I know it would only put him in a bad mood if I tried to pry but I can't help but wonder what Kyo dreams about, what kind of good dreams does he have? I hope that one day he'll share it with me.

_Are you happy? With the way your life is now? Are you going to reach for your dreams or let them blow away with your past?_

* * *

><p>kimmy1001<p>

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OnceUponAnAubi


	30. Kureno reveals a startling secret!

(C) Natsuki Takaya. I feel like I completely B.S the chapter again. I just want to finish it because I already have another story waiting on my USB and it's nearly finished! So if there are any Final Fantasy 13 fans reading this...ta da! The other stories I'm developing are still in the rough sketch stage. I have the endings all figured out...it's the beginning and middle that i'm having trouble with as usual.

Reviews, alerts, favs:

Alibabaxme

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(guest)

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(Guest) : Guilty. I saw on Youtube that someone did a video on best anime moms and they placed her as number two. I never heard of it, everyone recommended it in the comments so i searched relentlessly for the full video. Needless to say i cried like a baby towards the end.

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Mika-chan x3

niyah606 (Guest) : Thank you for liking the couple! I'll try to update more in the future when work isn't being a pain in the butt.

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88dragon06: Sometimes I feel the messages I put in are jibberish to be honest. It sounds so smart in my head and then when i write it down it's like, 'what was this woman trying to say?'

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* * *

><p><em>I was so happy when you smiled<em>

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the spring_

_When the flowers can bloom, renewed again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain~ of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes~_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always_~

* * *

><p>New years has flown by so fast and so much has happened that my head hurts just thinking about it, but with a new year comes with new experiences. On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Tohru and I spent time at Kazuma's house. It was great because Kyo, Rin, and Lyn were staying over as well and Kazuma had a lot of funny stories to tell about them when they were kids. It was like one big sleep over and despite Rin and Kyo having a constant 'stare-down to the death' it was great.<p>

"It feels like graduation is so close." Tohru commented as we made our way up the trail to the house, "Standing outside lined up next to everyone made it feel like the real thing."

"We still have time until then." I told her while breathing my warm breath onto my cold hands. Even though it's the start of spring it's still cold outside. "Wish we could've practiced when it's warm out."

Our entire grade had to spend most of the morning practicing for graduation and it was a huge pain in the butt because it was so cold outside. "I can't wait to get inside and warm up." I said once we reached the front door, "I hope Shigure has some tea heated up."

"If not I can make some!" Tohru chirped as she opened the door, "We're home!"

As per routine Shigure is there to greet us, "Welcome home!" His smile fell a bit when he noticed the lack of boys that usually trail behind us, "Where are Yuki and Kyo?"

"Yuki's at student council as usual and Kyo went to Kazuma's house." I answered making my way to the kitchen, hoping that there was tea made.

"I see." Shigure mused, "I know you girls just walked into the door, but could the two of you do me a small favor?"

"Of course! Anything!" Tohru chirped, always eager to help.

"Could the two of you run to the store and grab some envelopes for me?" He rubbed the back of his head, "Mii has been hounding me about my manuscripts again and right in the middle of finishing up I realized I ran out of envelopes."

"That's terrible! We'll get some right away!"

I moaned loudly when I noticed there wasn't any hot tea made, "Can't we have something warm first? It's freezing out there."

Shigure came in and steered me away from the kitchen and towards the door where Tohru is waiting, "I'll put on fresh tea for you and it'll be ready by the time you get back." He gently nudges us out the door, "Two A-4 envelopes please." And with that he shut the door firmly and I swore I heard the lock click. Was he trying to get rid of us?

* * *

><p>"We should've changed out of our uniforms." I moaned, burying half my face into my scarf. My hands are cold, my face is cold, and I'm pretty sure my legs shouldn't be tingling like this. "Do we need anything else from the store while we're there?"<p>

Tohru tapped her chin, "We'll need more trash bags and milk…and I think more soy sauce."

"Let's get to the store quick so we can warm up." I said picking up my pace a bit only for her to grab my elbow to pull me to a stop.

"Oh! Look at those sparrows, Zakura!" She trekked over to the birds and kneeled next to them and surprisingly they didn't fly away.

I was shivering from the cold, "They're pretty, Tohru, but can we please go to the store so we can warm up? I'm freezing." I begged her. I hated the cold. I like snow just fine, only when I'm not out in it.

"Maybe we should get some bread too and come back to feed them?" When she reached down to touch one of them they suddenly took flight, startling the both of us.

Through the ruffled flying feathers we saw a tall young man in a long coat standing there next to us. He reached down and grabbed Tohru by her wrist and pulled her to his chest into a hug.

I was ready to pull her away from the stranger but I heard her stutter, "Kureno…?" The Rooster? "But I thought…the birds…"

"That's right." The man said softly, "But…I'm not like that anymore…" He gave us a somber look, "I won't transform…my curse…is broken…"

"What?" I whispered in disbelief. Hope fluttered in my heart. If his curse is broken then it's possible…

"It happened years ago…I was a little younger than the two of you…I'm no longer part of the Zodiac." He looks up at the sky to see the remaining sparrows fly away, "I can't fly anymore."

Tohru gripped him by his elbows, "How?!" She cried desperately, "How did-?"

"I don't know." He confessed, "It happened so suddenly. It felt like my field of vision had abruptly opened. Like there was no one inside me but me and there was nothing to drive me away. The sky was so blue that day. I realized that I'd be able to fly in that sky again and it made me both sad and elated."

"If that's true…why are you still with Akito?" I asked him, "If you're free…why are you still trapped at the main house?"

"Because Akito still needs me." He answered pulling away from Tohru to reach into his coat to pull out a cd. He handed it to her with a sad smile, "Your gift is wasted on me. I'm sorry, but I won't be seeing Arisa again. I need to remain at Akito's side."

"But why? Why stay?" I persisted, my hand tighten into fists and I shook my head with disgust,"…Akito…he's horrible-! He purposely hurts his family just to make himself happy! He hurt Kisa just because Hiro likes her…He mentally abused Yuki…he won't allow Haru to be together with his girlfriend…A never ending banquet where everything remains the same…If he was a true head of the family he would seek the happiness of his family instead of making them miserable!" I could see it in his eyes as well, "Even you! You deny your own happiness just for Akito! You won't even see her or give her a chance…You won't even give yourself a chance…" Tears well up in my eyes for him, Uo, and frustration, "Uo is a wonderful person…and I'm sure you're a great guy just like the other Sohma's…you all deserve to be happy and yet…" I wiped my eyes. Wet face and cold wind feels horrible.

To our surprise Kureno had tears falling from his eyes too, "I do want to see her…from those two same random encounters…She shouldn't invade my mind so much but she does…I could've held her as much as I wanted…I can go anywhere…I can love anyone…" He covered his eyes with one hand, "But that's exactly why…that's why I have to stay by his side…Akito begged me to not abandon him…I couldn't forsake him…for Akito the bond means everything to him. It makes sense…God can't exist without the Zodiac. So then I swore on the day my curse was broken that I would stay by his side. I wanted to stop his tears. I was willing to lie to the others and pretend that my curse wasn't broken. I was willing if that meant I could stop that child's tears…"

My eyes narrowed at the thought, "You gave up your freedom because he was crying and asked you to stay… I understand because he was just a child but he's older now!" I seethed, "The other Sohma's can't live their lives because of him! Even though you're free of your bond he still shackles you down – how's that fair?"

His face scrunched in anguish, "Maybe it was only pity that I stayed by his side, but I just couldn't abandon him! Akito clung to me so hard that I thought he would break in two…You have to understand…for the sake of that girl…I swore to stay by her side." (My 16 year old mind was blown when I read that. Now 23 and sometimes my mind still won't accept that little detail.)

'Her? Who's her?'

"For that timid…weak…girl…who had no one…I had to stay by her side…"

Tohru let out a startled gasp, her hand covering her mouth, "A-akito's…"

Kureno nodded slowly, "Yes…Akito is a woman."

"T-that can't be…" Tohru whispered with shock laced in her voice, "I saw Akito before…h-he…s-she…"

"Akito is definitely a man." I said although I don't know who I was trying to convince here. 'Unless she's the most flat chested woman I've ever seen.' I thought back on my two encounters with Akito and thought long and hard as Kureno explained to the both of us why Akito was raised as a boy. 'Not only do the Sohma's live private lives because of their curse, Akito keeps them so close that it's impossible for them to form any sort of relation to other people because that's what she/he's afraid of- someone taking her family away. A man and a woman can have possessive and jealousy problems when it comes to people trying to take what's theirs. But that time at the summer house…a man would've slapped me or something worse…a woman…would've clawed me or pull…my hair…' "Oh my goodness…"

"So you see…" Kureno went on, "I can't be with Arisa…not when there's another girl who needs me. I'm sorry." He then apologized sincerely, "I probably overwhelmed the two of you but please listen. I know Akito hurts people without any qualms but I wanted you to know that Akito is battered and torn herself."

"I don't give a damn about that!" I snapped at him, "That leaves no excuse to hurt the others the way she has! Because of her she-" Tears pooled around my eyes again as I thought of all the Sohma's I grew to care and love for. I felt Tohru grip my hand as she too tried to hold back her tears, "B-because of her…I…we…" Tohru wrapped her arms around me and I did the same and we held each other as we cried out our sorrows like little children.

"It seems like all I do is hurt people…" He placed his hands on our heads in small comfort, "Please tell Arisa that I'm sorry…and good-bye…" We felt his hand leave our heads but we made no move to stop him as we heard him walk away.

_All this pain…how can I move on beyond this horrible feeling? It's not fair…it's not right…I don't want to feel this way anymore…make it stop…make it go away…the pain is not only mine, but the pain of others as well…these aren't just my tears…please…please…make the pain stop…_

* * *

><p>"The two of you could've caught a cold sitting on the ground like that. It's a good thing I felt your voices calling out to me." Hana slowly removed Tohru's coat from her and folded it neatly next to her while Megumi held my cold hands in his warm ones, "I'll call the prince for you and tell him that you won't be coming home tonight." With that she and Megumi left the room leaving Tohru and I to ourselves.<p>

We sat in silence for a few moments before her raspy voice said, "Zakura…it's like that time…I…I don't know what to do…I don't know how to help…"

"What _can_ we do to help?" My voice was just as soft and as lost as hers, "There isn't anything we _can_ do. I want Uo to be happy too, but…" My shoulder sagged as depression set in even more, "…let's face it…it's impossible…"

Her breath hitched when Hans reenters the room with five cups of tea on a round tray. She placed a cup in front of Tohru and I before taking a seat on the other side of the table. "Something unsettling happened, I presume."

Tohru was the first one to crack, "Kureno…the one Uo likes…he's a…a Sohma…" Tears fell from her eyes again, "H-he said that he can't see her…t-there's someone else." Hana looks to me and although her face never changes from her normal stoic look I could see a dark storm brewing in her eyes. I nodded confirming that what Tohru is true. "I- I couldn't say anything. I wanted to do something…but I couldn't…all I do is cause trouble when all I want to do is help…"

"You said there was someone else?" Tohru recovered a bit to tell her the censored version of why he couldn't leave the person he was with. Basically, explaining that he was sacrificing his happiness and feelings to make someone else happy. "I see…so in a way…he's kind of like you two." We looked at her in confusion. "I'm sure the two of you know that people do worry about you a lot when you're carrying the burdens of others…you do it so carefully in gentle hands…you carry them and carry them and carry them until some day in the future you will be crushed by them." She gazed at our faces and if possible her frown deepened, "You're already starting to break…I fear…that soon your smiling faces will disappear…and if that happens-"

Her bedroom door suddenly slams open, "Hell will freeze over!"

"U-uo…"

"How did you-?"

Hana smiled as if happy we were taken by surprise, "I called her."

Uo shrugged off her coat, making room for Megumi to come into the room with more tea, "Yeah, she called me and I ran all the way from work." She said while taking a seat next to Tohru, "How do I say this?" She asked herself before turning towards us, "I made the both of you cry and worry so I that means I'm horrible."

"What?!"

"N-no! Uo that's not true at all-!"

"There's nothing the two of you can do." She said with a serious face before it bloomed into a smile, "You dopes…" She simultaneously pulled us into one big hug, "…I love you two…only true friends would try to do what you two did…but it's okay…about him…it's okay." She rubbed our backs softly, "It's can't be help. So just leave it. It can't be helped." Even though she says that I can tell that she wished it could be helped and deep on our hearts we wished that we could do something.

"Are you speaking of a lost love, Arisa?" Megumi asks bluntly breaking our lovely sisterly moment.

"Ack!"

"Megumi!"

"Bad boy, Megumi." Hana mildly scolded, "You have to speak carefully at times like these."

"But there are some things that take a long time to acquire. Friends. Loves. Really…nothing has been a waste."

"Well obviously." Uo snorted with an embarrass blush on her cheeks, "That's already my creed."

Smiling Hana got to her feet, "Well, now, shall we get this sleep over started?"

"I'm surrounded by older women." Megumi says with a straight face, "How very exciting."

"Easy there." Uo poked him in the head.

"It's not that kind of slumber party." I nudged him with my elbow.

"Oh! Can I help with anything?" Tohru asked ready to help Hana pass out snacks and more drinks.

_-0-_

_"Ow~! Nyahhh!" I cried out when the pain started to set in on my chin and hands. Almost instantly I felt warm strong hands set me back on my feet, "I don't want to learn how to swing anymore!"_

_"Honey, how will you play at the park if you don't try everything here?" _

_"But I fall off of everything and it hurts!"_

_He chuckles and wipes my tears, "Yes, it will hurt, but that's part of learning you know. Just like how you learned to walk." He brushes off my hands and knees, "You fell a lot of times but you're walking now like a big girl right?" I nodded. I am a big girl. "So the pain was worth because now you're a big girl and you're walking all by yourself."_

_"Will I be an even bigger girl if I swing all by myself?" I asked him._

_He smiled, showing his white teeth, "That's right!" He poked me in the nose, making me giggle, "Ready to try again, big girl?"_

_I nodded and rushed back to the swing and waited for him to pick me up. He got behind me, hoisted me up and placed me on the seat, telling me to hold the chains tightly like before. "Now remember to kick your legs back and forth lightly as you move, okay?"_

_"Hmm!" I bit my lip as I felt him slowly move the swing back a little before he gave me a gentle push forward. When I went forward I stuck my little legs out and when I went back I tucked my legs in and before I knew it I was swinging all by myself! "I'm doing it! Daddy I'm swinging like a big girl!"_

_"Yes you are! See you can do it!" He gently brings the swing to a stop and looks down at me, "See, even though you got hurt you still did okay in the end. Life is a lot like that sometimes…you have to get hurt…struggle…and suffer…but sometimes the end reward is worth it." I think he saw the lost look on my face because he let out a big laugh, "Heheh! You have no idea what I'm saying, do you?"_

_Smiling I shook my head no, "nuh-uh!"_

* * *

><p>Two days later Tohru and I kept our meeting with Kureno a secret from the others because we didn't want them to worry. We tried to give our minds a break over the fact that Kureno's curse was indeed broken and that the others could be broken too by making the paper flowers for the third years that are graduating in a few days. Somehow our year got stuck making the preparations while the actual third years focused on their end of the year exams and projects. There were so many flowers needed for the graduation that a lot of us had to take some paper home to work on them.<p>

"Does this look alright?" I asked Tohru holding up my crinkled flower.

"It looks just fine!" She chirped finishing up another perfect flower and added it to her growing pile. For someone so clumsy she's great at stuff like this.

I placed the crinkled aside and grabbed another one with a bored sigh.

"Hello girl~!" Shigure sang waltzing into the living room from his office. He had his glasses on so he must've been actually working this time. "Oh! Paper flowers, huh?" He joined us at the table and picked up one of the rubber-band bound papers, "This brings back memories. Is this for graduation?"

"Yeah." I answered picking one up as well, "So they did this even back then, huh?"

"Indeed. Do you mind if I open one up?" He asks us, mostly looking at Tohru who looked like she had something she wanted to ask.

"O-of course…um…Shigure?"

"Yes?" He began peeling at the tissue paper.

"Um…uh…" She sucked in a deep breath before spouting, "Is there anything you need from the store? You asked me to go to the store yesterday and I was a day late!"

Shigure smiled nonetheless, "You still brought the envelopes to me the next morning so it's fine. Nothing particular comes to mind that I need from the store."

This deters her a bit, "I-I see! I'll try harder next time!"

"Okay!"

"S-so…um…I'll make tea!"

"Okay!"

Tohru ran away to the kitchen leaving me in the awkward setting that she created. 'Thanks a lot, Tohru.'

Shigure continued with his flower making with a knowing look on his face, "I understand. It's not an easy subject to bring up."

"Hm?"

"It's not prying if you ask." He continued, peeling away at the paper flower, "I can't answer everything but there are some things I can answer."

I was skeptical but if there are some things that he's willing to tell, what's the best thing to ask? "Were you aware that Kureno was going to meet us the other day?"

Shigure closed his eyes and nodded, "Yes…he called me and said that he needed to talk to Tohru. I really did need the envelopes, but I didn't know he would talk to her so soon."

So he was in on it. Does he truly know that Kureno's curse is broken? Probably not since Rin said she asked him already and he doesn't know how to break the curse. So the next easy question is, "Is it true that Akito is really a girl?"

He let out a low chuckle, "I see he told you that…yes it's true. I assume he explained why?"

I nodded, "To me it doesn't matter if Akito's a man or a woman." What matters to me is how Kureno's curse was broken and how can we break the others curse, but who can I ask about it? Kureno is the only one who had his curse broken and he doesn't even know how it happened. I'm stuck in square one again.

* * *

><p>Next Day…<p>

"So these are most of the flowers, right?" Since graduation for the third years was so close last class has been canceled until then so first and second years can help prep for the graduation. So for our last block we're trying to finish up the flowers and decorations. "We're going to take these to the gym with the others."

The remaining few of us waved the student council students away, saying we'll make more flowers for the ceremony. Funny how we say that when none of us are in the mood for it, some of us want to wander the hallways like everyone else.

"Hang on. They forgot Yuki's flowers." One of the guys said looking at the flowers on Yuki's desk.

"Someone go get them before they get too far." Someone suggested.

"Why don't we take them down there ourselves?" Someone else asks. Then it turn into a small debate on what we should do with 'Prince Yuki's' flowers. Some of them weren't finished so some thought we shouldn't touch them at all while others thought to take the finished ones down to the gym. They were just paper flowers…

"Hang on! Stop!" Uo, Hana, and I turned around to see the Prince Yuki fangirls wearing bandannas over their faces swiping the flowers with lightning reflexes and escaped from the classroom before most of us could even blink! "Come back here!"

"Give those back you thieves!"

Tohru squeezed into the room looking a bit nervous, "What happened? I think I saw the Prince Yuki fan club running out of here?"

"Those girls just swiped Prince Yuki's flowers."

"Why would they do such a thing?" She gasped appalled. Probably thinking Yuki would be sad that his flowers were stolen.

"Think about it. Yuki made them."

"The nerve of those girls." One sighed annoyed, "What should we do? We need those for graduation."

"Forget it. They're a lost cause." Uo turned to Kyo who was slouching around on his desk bored, "Hey, idiot, make up for the loss."

"Huh?" An angry tick mark worked it's way to his jaw, "Not with this again. It was _his_ stuff that got stolen, have him make more."

"But Yuki's at student council." The girl argued, "Plus he looks busy."

"It's not _my_ problem." He argued back, "Besides I already finished mine." We all looked at his desk to see his finished work, but all we saw were the unused tissue paper. "Where'd they go?!" We all shrugged. Kyo has fans too. I guess when we were distracted they swiped his too. "Son of a…" He growled, reigning in his temper, "…I won't kill who did it…but they can still go to hell!"

I patted his hand in praise for controlling his temper, "Deep breaths…remember Kazuma's breathing exercises."

A fellow classmate approached him with more tissue paper, "At any rate you better redo them."

Kyo sighed, "Dammit! What a pain. This isn't funny."

"He's right though." One of the students agreed, "What are we going to do about the stolen flowers?"

"We can't call Yuki back to make more. He's with student council."

"We shouldn't since it wasn't his fault they were stolen."

"We still have left over paper…"

"Should we all make them again…?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Argh!" Uo shouted, "What is wrong with those girls?! Let's chase them down!"

"Yeah!" Everyone shouted rushing out the door behind Uo. Hana grabbed Tohru's hand and they went at a slower pace behind them most likely to supervise the whole situation mainly to ensure that Uo doesn't kill anyone.

"You don't want any part of the action?" I asked him, taking a seat near the window.

"It's not worth the effort." He moaned slouching even more, "I don't want to make more but I don't want to hunt them down either. This whole thing is a pain."

"Well, you got a point there." I agreed whole heartily looking out the window resting my chin on my palm, "Hard to believe that once the third years graduate, we'll graduate soon too."

"Yeah…"

_'Just one year… this will be the last year that we can all be together before we all go on with our own lives. We won't be able to see each other as often once we graduate.' _

"…"

"…"

Well this was fun.

-0-0 A hour later -0-

"Ugh, what the hell is taking so long? How long does it take to find those girls?"

"Who knows? This school is pretty big and there's a lot going on."

"Knowing them- they probably got sidetracked. Those guys love to live in the moment."

I giggled in agreement, "Tell me about it. Though I wished they'd hurry up so we can go home. It's starting to get dark outside."

"Don't worry. We're walking home together so nothing's gonna happen to you." Lately the boys have been able to walk Tohru and I home from school but not from work. It's understandable that they have other things to do.

"I'm not really worried about that…it's just that I'm getting hungry."

"You really haven't been eating much lately" Kyo observed tucking his hands in his uniform pockets, "Is there something bothering you? You can tell me…"

Can I really tell him without him getting mad? I guess there's no harm in trying... "Well…um…" I fiddled with my fingers, "What…how would you feel if someone from the Zodiac had their curse broken-?" I immediately stopped asking when I saw his eyebrows furrowed.

"How would I feel?" He reiterated, venom seeping into his voice, "Don't joke about something like that. You know it's impossible for the curse to be broken so why even ask when you know how I feel about it." His word cut deeply, "Don't bring it up anymore, got it?"

Meekly I nodded and kept my eyes facing the ground. _'After saying I could tell him -I should've known better than to ask him. If I can't figure out how to break the curse in time Kyo will be locked away for the rest of his life.'_ "Sorry I asked."

"D-don't go crying! It's not like I'm mad or anything!" I rubbed the top of his head, messing up his orange hair, "D-damn it…after saying you can tell me anything." He scolded himself, "You know how direct I am…I'm sorry."

I turned around to look out the window again, hoping that he won't see my misty eyes, "N-no, you're right, I shouldn't have asked. I won't bring it up anymore." '_Don't cry. Don't cry!'_

I heard him let out a soft sigh and then I heard the sound of tissue paper rustling. I assumed he was cleaning the papers off his desk just to fill the awkwardness I created. _'Stupid me! Why couldn't I have been a little more tactful?'_

I felt his hand on my shoulder, gently turning me around to face him. I let out a startled gasp when he presented me with a paper rose. His expression alone told me how sorry he was. My fingers brushed against his as I held the flower and to my delight he didn't let go as we held it together.

_'I'll still remain hopeful that I will be able to free you from this curse. Meeting Kureno showed me that it's possible.'_

"We apprehended the criminals and justice has been dealt!"

Talk about crashing the mood!

"That was very rewarding."

"Now I'm tired!"

"Zakura, we can go home now." Tohru smiled following in behind Hana and Uo, "The girls peacefully agreed to make more flowers to make up for the ones they stole."

I hid the flower rose behind me back sheepishly, "Really?" I turned to Kyo who looked a little put out, "Isn't that great? Now you don't have to make more."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just go. I'm hungry."

Tohru perked up, "Oh! That's right! I've got to get started on dinner! We better go get Yuki too!"

_I just have to keep holding on to the faith that I will break the shackle that binds you. I don't want you to go away…_

* * *

><p>Yay! Now for those who care there's a little rant about vol 17 and i want to know other people's thoughts about it as well. Here's my thought: <strong><em>When I first read that little twist I was like, 'that makes absolutely no sense at all! Why change it so suddenly?' She already danced on the line with Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo in the beginning volumes. She teased that it would seem like Yuki and Tohru would be together in the manga only to switch it to Tohru and Kyo and slide a girl in there for Yuki so he's not lonely. (To me it was a little more obvious in the anime in the second to last episode when Kyo transformed.) But now that I'm older and read the entire series 50 times my conclusion is…almost everyone gets someone in the end …even Akito. Psh Except for Momiji and Kagura… I ship Ritsu and Mii.<em>**


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